Aprilia caution over late-season MotoGP surge: “Marc Marquez was not here”

Aprilia’s storming end to the MotoGP season came with a major caveat: Marc Marquez was missing.

Ducati’s new factory signing had dominated the year, winning eleven grands prix and fifteen sprints to seal the title with five rounds remaining. 

But the new world champion was then injured in a collision with Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi at Mandalika, ruling him out of the final events.

Without Marquez, Ducati claimed only one further grand prix win, courtesy of Alex Marquez at Sepang. Aprilia, meanwhile, won at Phillip Island with Raul Fernandez, then Portimao and Valencia with Bezzecchi.

“Yeah, but we cannot forget that Marc was not here,” cautioned Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola, when asked about the factory’s late-season form.

Bezzecchi’s end-of-year charge - three race wins and another two podiums - would have been even better without a double long lap at Phillip Island, for colliding with Marquez.

“At the end, Marco was, I would say, the fastest rider out there," said Rivola. "For me, Pedro [Acosta] delivered a very impressive performance. Alex [Marquez] was very constant, always there.

“So maybe in a small championship without Marc Marquez, these guys were the fighters for the potential title.

“I am sure that next year there will be Honda, which lost the concessions, so they showed they are coming. Fabio [Quartararo] did five pole positions. 

"The level of the championship… just look at the tiny gaps in qualifying here [Valencia]. It is a nice championship, but it is tough. If you are not 100%, you lose a couple of places.”

Bezzecchi finished the season with a new Aprilia high of third in the MotoGP standings behind Marc and Alex Marquez, with the RS-GP runner-up to the Desmosedici in the constructors’ battle.

While Marquez was missing for the final stages, Aprilia was without its star signing, reigning champion Jorge Martin, for most of the 2025 season.