Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola says the Italian marque first needs to get its own house in order before worrying about Marc Marquez’s renewed form on the Ducati.
Reigning MotoGP champion Marquez has reignited his title challenge by winning back-to-back grands prix in Hungary and the Czech Republic, having shown a marked improvement in pace after undergoing additional surgery on his right shoulder last month.
The Spaniard’s resurgence has coincided with a difficult spell for Aprilia, particularly its factory team, with Jorge Martin triggering a major pile-up at Balaton Park and Marco Bezzecchi receiving a one-race ban at Brno for slapping a marshal.
Asked whether he was more concerned about Aprilia riders making frequent mistakes or Marquez’s return to form, Rivola said: “First of all, I think we need to watch ourselves. I think we are worried, if I may say, about Marc Marquez since race one. I think Marc is a threat and Ducati is doing a great job, so compliments to them.
“I think we need to fix our last few weekends. Then we can be competitive again, as Ai Ogura showed this weekend.”
Ai Ogura, Trackhouse Racing
Photo by: Lukas Kabon / Anadolu via Getty Images
Aprilia emerged as MotoGP’s new benchmark at the beginning of 2026, winning four of the first five grands prix in commanding fashion.
However, Ducati has closed the gap considerably since the championship moved to Europe at the end of April, with Alex Marquez, Fabio di Giannantonio and Marc Marquez all scoring victories aboard the GP26.
Heading into this weekend’s Dutch GP at Assen, Aprilia holds only a narrow five-point lead over Ducati in the manufacturers’ standings, while its grip over both the riders’ and the teams’ standings has also been considerably weakened.
Despite two tough weekends at Balaton and Brno, Rivola insists the team must remain focused, citing Ai Ogura’s second-place finish on the Trackhouse as reason for optimism.
“As I always say, when things go well, we’re not superstars, and when they go badly, we’re not idiots,” Rivola quipped.
“We simply have to keep working without paying too much attention to the standings. I believe we have a competitive bike and a very strong group of riders. Ai Ogura proved that again on Sunday.
“At the same time, we have to give credit to our rivals: Ducati has made a significant leap forward, regardless of our misfortunes. Marquez was a threat even when he wasn’t in top form; now that he’s back in shape, he’s even more intimidating.”
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team, Marc Marquez, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
Rivola admitted that being a title contender creates additional problems both on and off the track, but he insists he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Asked how he would handle the internal situation at Aprilia, he added: “When you’re fighting for something important, it’s inevitable that the tension will rise. In a way, I’m glad that’s the case.
“I believe that even I, in my role, have room for improvement when it comes to managing the riders. But I prefer to have real riders, real people, who react emotionally. Obviously, I condemn what happened [with Bezzecchi], and I want my words to be interpreted correctly. That reaction was wrong.
“But at the same time, these are the riders who give that extra something. They put their hearts into it, not just their heads. And I love this kind of rider, even if in this case the behaviour is absolutely reprehensible.”
