Massimo Rivola tells Marco Bezzecchi what he needs to learn before taking on Marc Marquez

Massimo Rivola acknowledges that Aprilia’s rise came during a period when Marquez was out, making it difficult to gauge their true standing.

The 2025 season marked their strongest campaign since rejoining the premier class as a factory team, but that progress also brings new pressure.

Rivola believes Bezzecchi needs to adapt to these increased expectations if he wants to reach the top. While he’s already secured top-three finishes in every class, 2025 comes with even higher goals.

“With a number 93 on track, honestly I don’t know,” he told GPOne when asked if Aprilia could beat Ducati. “Last year we won the final races, but Marc was not on track.

“We must have respect for everyone but fear no one, so the famous phrase that I already said when [Aleix] Espargaro won in Argentina remains the same: work and believe. That’s the only thing we have to do, remembering that we can be lions for everyone.

“We don’t know what others have done this winter, but we know we worked very well. I think Marco, to make his final step, must learn to manage expectations – that will be one of the keys.”

Massimo Rivola recalls when he realised Marco Bezzecchi could become special at Aprilia

The main clash between Marquez and Bezzecchi in 2025 took place at Misano, where each rider walked away with a win.

Marquez crashed out during the Sprint while dicing with Bezzecchi but bounced back to take the Grand Prix, finishing just 0.6 seconds ahead.

After that race, Bezzecchi apologised to Rivola. The CEO says that moment stood out as a sign they were moving in the right direction.

He said: “At Misano he apologised to me for having finished second like that behind Marc… well, that is a sign that together we can do great things.”

This year’s RS-GP features an aggressive design approach, and more updates are planned before pre-season testing begins in Malaysia.