Aprilia is gearing up for an even bigger showdown in 2026. Their bold declaration? Straight-up beating the unbeatable Marc Marquez. Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola laid it out plain and simple: the team’s top goal is to topple the “special” eight-time world champion, who dominated despite missing the final four races due to a crash with Aprilia’s own Marco Bezzecchi.
What Happened In 2025 With Marc Marquez And Aprilia
Let’s rewind to 2025 for context. Marquez was on fire, racking up 25 wins in the first 36 races before that nasty Indonesia incident sidelined him. Even without those 148 potential points, he clinched the title by 78 points over his brother Alex. Bezzecchi, in his debut factory Aprilia season, finished a solid third, 192 points behind Marquez, but lit up the second half with wins at Portimao and Valencia, plus strong showings elsewhere. Ducati took the constructors’ crown by a whopping 350 points, but Aprilia proved they could hang tough.
Rivola isn’t mincing words. “The target is clearly to beat Marc,” he told Crash.net exclusively. He even believes Bezzecchi had the edge in Indonesia and Phillip Island before the crash cost both potential victories. Sure, Trackhouse Aprilia’s Raul Fernandez snatched Phillip Island, but Rivola sees untapped wins there for his man, Marco.
Bezzecchi already notched the first dry, clean win over Marquez at Silverstone, then pushed him hard at Assen and Misano. “I’m super happy Raul won in Australia, but we could have been in a position where Marco took those two,” Rivola added. Apologies to Marquez for the clash, but eyes forward, no excuses in 2026.
Expect fireworks with Bezzecchi paired alongside Jorge Martin, who’s back strong after injury woes. The duo unveils Aprilia’s 2026 factory colors in Milan on January 15, right before the Sepang test from February 3-5. Rivola predicts manufacturers stay neck-and-neck, engines frozen for Ducati, KTM, and Aprilia. Yamaha shakes things up with a new V4, but small gains, like a couple of tenths, could leapfrog grids. “You gain three rows on the start, and it’s a whole different race,” Rivola warned. Overtaking tires you out; starting up front wins championships.
Bezzecchi’s late-season surge, Sprint or GP wins in four of five final rounds, signals big things, Marquez or not. Rivola’s conviction shines: “Marco was stronger than Marc in Indonesia. It looks like in Phillip Island, too. But Marc is special; the target is to beat him in 2026.” Ducati remains the beast to slay, but Marquez is the real prize. Aprilia’s RS-GP showed speed; now they chase glory.
As MotoGP enters its last 1000cc hurrah, Aprilia eyes the throne. Bezzecchi and Martin versus Marquez? Pure cinema. Stay tuned, 2026 starts now.
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