Aprilia: Rivola sees fight against Marc Marquez as an honor and motivation

– Aprilia did not secure a victory at the Aragon Grand Prix. Nevertheless, Massimo Rivola’s assessment after the weekend is positive.

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Marco Bezzecchi claimed pole position with a new track record. Jorge Martin qualified fifth. In the race, Bezzecchi ultimately had to yield to Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta, while Martin finished fifth.

Marquez won in the end with a 1.754-second lead over Acosta, Bezzecchi was third, 3.629 seconds behind. For Rivola, the result was primarily a confirmation that Aprilia can be competitive even on a track where they had expected to be more defensive beforehand.

Aprilia boss pays respect to Marquez

“Of course, everything must be viewed proportionally,” explains the Aprilia head on Sky Italia and is far from calling it an ideal weekend. “Ideal is Mugello, when you finish first and second and all Aprilias are at the front.”

Aragon, on the other hand, was a track where Aprilia expected fewer advantages. “Here we knew we would be a bit on the defensive, we had to play a bit of ‘Catenaccio’,” Rivola draws the football comparison.

All the more satisfying was Bezzecchi’s pole position, especially on Marc Marquez’s home track. Bezzecchi secured the first starting position on Saturday with a time of 1:44.962 minutes, becoming the first MotoGP rider ever to lap Aragon in under 1:45 minutes.

MotoGP: Aragon Grand Prix (Alcaniz) 2026

Marquez had to settle for second place at that point. However, in the races, it became clear why Rivola spoke of a more defensive approach. In the sprint, Marquez passed directly. On Sunday, Bezzecchi led initially before Marquez took over in the sixth lap and then controlled the race.

“Here you are at his home,” says Rivola referring to Marquez. When the Ducati rider increased the pace, he demonstrated his class: “When he decided to shift up a gear, he put in three impressive laps.”

Rivola praises Pedro Acosta

Besides Marquez, Rivola explicitly highlights Acosta. The KTM rider finished second and at least temporarily kept the pressure on Marquez. For Rivola, a particular overtaking maneuver by the Spaniard was a highlight of the race.

“I believe Pedro made the overtaking move of the year,” he says, referring to the moment when not only Marquez but also Acosta passed Bezzecchi. “Pedro’s move is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen. The courage to put the bike in there at 350 km/h.”

Acosta did benefit from a double slipstream. “There were certain conditions he could use to his advantage,” Rivola knows, “but big praise to him.”

The fight against Marquez as motivation

Rivola does not see Aprilia’s defeat to Marquez in Aragon as a setback. Rather, he views the fight against the Ducati star as a special motivation for his team.

“It’s true that we have made some real steps, not least with a view to the future,” says Rivola. At the same time, that is far from enough: “But that’s not enough. We have to fight until the last race.”

Rivola knows exactly which opponent Aprilia is dealing with. Marquez collected the maximum possible 37 points with his double win in Aragon and reduced his deficit in the championship to 19 points. Rivola sees the fight against the nine-time world champion not as a burden but as a privilege.

“We know we have an opponent like Marquez, who is one of the strongest riders in history. To have the honor to try to beat him is wonderful. That is a huge motivation, and we will not give up until the end.”

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What Aprilia can learn from Marquez

They also take an example from Marquez. Because the Ducati rider repeatedly proves how important it can be not to take maximum risks every time.

“I believe you also have to learn from Marquez,” explains Rivola. “Look at Mugello, look at Silverstone: He brings something home, even though it looks like Marquez is in a crisis. And in reality, he brings it home without taking risks because he knows consistency is the most important.”

When the situation allows a win, Marquez consistently plays to his strengths, Rivola analyzes further: “When he knows he is the strongest, he does it.”

For Aprilia, this is an important lesson. “We have to learn a lot from him, from this clever attitude and this ability. You either have it or you don’t. He is the strongest, and it is always better to learn from him.”

Podiums are not a given

At the same time, Rivola tries to control expectations within his own team. Aprilia’s rise has significantly raised demands. Podium finishes are no longer a sensation. But Rivola also sees a danger in this: “You must not take things for granted.”

“I often tell my people: We must not stand with our heads down if we bring home a fourth, fifth, or even third place,” he emphasizes.

You get used to good results very quickly, but Rivola warns against underestimating the situation: “We must not forget that we are fighting against giants and against people who are much more used to winning than we are.”

That means: Aprilia continues to fight against manufacturers with significantly more experience and against riders who have raced for wins and championships much more often. However, the team does not scale back its own ambitions because of this.

Rivola makes it clear that he himself believed early on in his riders’ title chances: “If there is anyone who already believed last year that Bezzecchi and Martin could become world champions, it is me.” Particularly interesting in this context is Rivola’s view of Martin.

Martin confirms Rivola’s trust

Last year, Aprilia fought to keep the Spaniard in the team despite difficult circumstances, even though he wanted out of his contract. The start of the 2026 season subsequently confirmed Rivola in his assessment.

“If you ask me after the first test in Thailand this year… When I saw that test, I said: This is someone who will fight for the world championship this year,” he reveals. The Spaniard’s development is a confirmation that the efforts at the time were worthwhile.

“That is a bit of proof that we did the right thing last year to fight for him and keep him,” the Aprilia head looks back.

However, what is particularly important for Rivola is not just the position in the championship standings. He also emphasizes the development of the team around Martin and Bezzecchi: “It is the satisfaction of seeing him happy, and the satisfaction of seeing that Bezzecchi has built a team that has become a real team.”

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