Aprilia set for major new Monster Energy title sponsorship from Italian MotoGP round

The Aprilia factory MotoGP team is set to welcome Monster Energy as its title sponsor from next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix for the rest of 2026, Crash.net has learned.

Despite ending the 2025 season runner-up in the manufacturers’ standings and third in the riders’ rankings with Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia did not secure a title partner for the start of the current campaign.

Currently, it is the only manufacturer not to have a title partner, with KTM backed by Red Bull, Honda with Castrol, Yamaha with Monster Energy and Ducati with Lenovo.

Aprilia has always had good backing from its owner, the Piaggio Group, but CEO Massimo Rivola admitted at its team launch in January that he was “a bit disappointed” not to have gained a title partner for 2026.

“I think when you start believing in a project, whatever direction it goes, you win so long as you share with your people,” he said.

“At the end, people make the difference. In the end, if our partners believe in what we do,

“I think we will continue to have as good sponsors as we have now.

“I honestly don’t want to say surprised, but I’m a bit disappointed that we didn’t achieve a top title sponsor.

“Luckily, we have the Piaggio Group, who saved us. But I’d love to one day call the [boss] and tell him we found 10 million for the budget.”

Aprilia secures Monster Energy as new title sponsor

Aprilia has continued its upward trend from the end of last year, winning four of the opening six grands prix with Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin.

It currently leads the manufacturers’ rankings, while Bezzecchi is 15 points clear of Martin in the championship after last weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix.

That now finally appears to have delivered Aprilia what it was looking for in a high-profile title partner.

First reported by Motorsport, and confirmed by sources to Crash.net, Aprilia will have Monster Energy title sponsorship from its home round at Mugello and for the rest of the year.

It’s a significant move, amid rumours that Monster Energy could pull its title backing from Yamaha at the end of the season as Fabio Quartararo departs for Honda.

Bezzecchi is already a Monster athlete, as is double world champion Pecco Bagnaia, who is due to join Aprilia next season, having reportedly signed a four-year agreement.

It remains to be seen how this will affect Jorge Martin’s current relationship with Red Bull. Martin is due to leave Aprilia at the end of the year for Yamaha.

Marc Marquez faced a similar situation with his Red Bull backing when he joined the Monster-sponsored Ducati factory squad, with the Spaniard ultimately severing ties with the Austrian company.

Though Marquez now races with Monster branding, he is not one of their official athletes.