Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia Racing, stated that surpassing Marc Márquez in the fight for the MotoGP title in 2026 represents “the hardest task we could have.” This statement reflects the intensity of the championship between Aprilia and Ducati, which has heightened the excitement of this season.
After four years dominated by Ducati, Aprilia has emerged as a serious contender in 2026 thanks to significant advancements in its RS-GP. So far, the Noale manufacturer has achieved seven victories in the 16 races held, thus matching its total number of wins from the last three seasons.
Despite Aprilia’s advances, Ducati continues to compete intensely, tying with them in the points of the manufacturers’ standings before the Indonesia GP. Márquez’s contribution, winning six of the last nine races, is crucial for their continued success.
Rivola praised the duo formed by Márquez and Ducati, considering it the best in many years. “How difficult is it to beat Marc? I think it’s the hardest task we could face,” Rivola said, highlighting that last year he worked to motivate the team with the idea that Márquez was beatable.
At a peak moment of the season, Aprilia has two riders in direct competition for the title: Jorge Martín, who currently leads by two points over Márquez, and Marco Bezzecchi, who is in third place with a 49-point gap. Rivola reflects on the implications of having two riders fighting for the title, acknowledging that while they might take points away from each other, it is also a great satisfaction to have this internal competition.
“Believe me, it’s a good message for the future and for the championship,” Rivola concluded. Gigi Dall’Igna, manager of Ducati, agreed that having more than one rider in the title fight benefits the brand, with both companies looking to the future with expectations of success and competitiveness.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
