A new MotoGP contract for Marco Bezzecchi will be a "priority" for Aprilia, while it expects to take more time with Jorge Martin after an injury-compromised 2025.
Aprilia motorsport boss Massimo Rivola spoke to media about the two riders' contractual situations in the aftermath of the 2025 season finale at Valencia, and his comments underlined an inevitable difference between Bezzecchi's standing at Aprilia and the fact Martin's time with the manufacturer is yet to meaningfully kick off.
Both riders are contracted to the end of 2026.
Signed as a title contender and arriving as the reigning champion with the #1 plate, Martin contested precious few rounds this past campaign and was fully fit for none of them, while less-fancied signing Bezzecchi picked up the slack - authoring Aprilia's first-ever top-three championship finish.
Bezzecchi had long been of interest to Aprilia - he turned down an offer back in 2020 - but still overperformed expectations here.
"I was expecting Marco to be very fast, so fast," enthused Rivola. "[But] I didn't know that he was such a great worker and team player. And I think these two aspects were the key for the growth.
"He became a leader without forcing himself, 'I want to be a leader'. The approach was - let's work, let's grow, let's continue. And that was the simple way to do it. Believe in the project and work."
Bezzecchi appeared very settled in the Aprilia environment in his first season there, and looks an incredibly logical candidate for an off-season two-year renewal a year in advance - like other manufacturers have pursued in the past for their star riders.
When asked about that prospect by The Race, Rivola said: "For sure Marco deserves to be considered as a priority for Aprilia Racing. And, with that, it means that we will try to secure Marco with us.
"If it's possible, good. If it's not possible [it would be] for some external reason that is not under my control - but for sure Aprilia Racing and Marco are quite a good couple, and it'd be a pity to break it."
Bezzecchi's renewal shouldn't necessarily be the most straightforward - and Rivola's answer could be taken as a hint of that - given 2025 will have substantially inflated his market value.
However, as evidenced by Rivola's answer to a follow-up question, it would be more straightforward right now than an extension with Martin, who spent most of 2025 on the sidelines and, during that spell on the sidelines, tried to navigate his way out of his current Aprilia deal.
"Let's give Jorge his time," Rivola insisted. "He needs to get confidence in himself, in his body, in his team, in his bike.
"We don't have to rush now. I think the '26 will be a mess in terms of the rider market."
The Trackhouse contracts
In this current contract cycle, Aprilia is the manufacturer with the fewest full-time riders under factory contract.
Each of its rivals has at least one extra rider racing under a factory contract in a satellite team, but while Trackhouse initially had that kind of arrangement with Aprilia, it changed starting in 2025.
So the two-year deals Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura are racing under are deals directly with Trackhouse.
"To be very honest, without going around, it's just a matter that Aprilia is not keen to contract other riders," team principal Davide Brivio told The Race.
"I think they used all their [contract] budget for Martin and Bezzecchi, they had no budget left! So we contracted the riders ourselves."
Is this a potential disadvantage on the market, given the ongoing willingness of other manufacturers to take ownership of rider contracts for satellite teams?
"I mean, it's good and bad. In a way, if we contract the rider, we are free to choose. We don't have to, let's say, accept the rider that the manufacturer [picks for us] - like other independent teams, they have to take the rider that the company [wants]. Sometimes they are very good!
"But anyway, it's the manufacturer deciding the riders for the independent team. In our case, we were able to decide ourselves our riders, which is positive. Of course, maybe the manufacturer - there's no doubt they have more resources available to contract riders. So... it depends on the situation.
"Maybe this situation might change in the future, who knows? At the moment it's like this."
