The unwitting boost Jorge Martin has gifted Aprilia

When Marco Bezzecchi won the first MotoGP grand prix after Autosport broke the Jorge Martin versus Aprilia contract story, it was almost too quaint to be true. 

After all, Aprilia’s ‘other’ new rider had been struggling until that point in the 2025 season, at times outperformed by the independent Trackhouse bike of rookie Ai Ogura – Bezzecchi hadn’t even managed a top five. Yet as soon as the off-track trouble began to swirl, there Bezzecchi stood atop the Silverstone podium.

Though it was a neat thing at the time, it was all too easy to put the morale-boosting British Grand Prix turnaround as a fortunate coincidence. Silverstone and Aprilia had history of the very best kind. The Northamptonshire track was one of the Noale manufacturer’s favourites, perhaps even its absolute best venue. It just happened to come right after Martin’s uncomfortable conversation with his employer at Le Mans.

Once the smell of victory champagne had worn off, maybe even Aprilia believed the win was just a happy marriage of perfect conditions and a friendly circuit. Bezzecchi’s crash at Aragon, which led to him qualifying 20th, was certainly a sobering comedown. 

Yet the 26-year-old VR46 refugee raced through to eighth in both the sprint and grand prix, offering a reminder that he could surge through the pack in ‘normal’ conditions too. And perhaps an indication of what was now possible at places that weren’t Silverstone. 

Then, at Mugello, the Italian finished fifth, his second-best result of the season. It might have been better still had he been able to qualify higher than 10th – but this was roughly the neighbourhood he had grown used to when lining up on the grid in 2025.

Bezzecchi has completely turned his season around across the last four rounds, with two podiums including one win during that time

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

One week later, admittedly at another circuit where Aprilia has had success in the past, Bezzecchi fixed the qualifying bug: he lined up in the middle of the second row. Two spots better than the previous best he managed on that fateful French weekend. 

It was the breakthrough he had been waiting for. And in the race at Assen, Bezzecchi showed how qualifying well could help a man’s chances by very nearly winning the damn thing. Only the stubborn and crafty master, Marc Marquez, stood in his way.

With another three race weekends in the books since the Silverstone win, it is surely time to admit that the British GP was the start of something for Aprilia, rather than a bit of happy timing. The team is making tangible progress, to the point where you can argue it is Ducati’s biggest challenger, in races at least. And you cannot separate this from the enormous Martin saga going on in the background.

“The fact that he [Bezzecchi] stayed right on Marquez [in the GP], who we know is dominating this year, and that he still had a go all the way to the end, is significant. This is a great sign of all the work that is being done in Noale" Massimo Rivola 

The reigning world champion’s bombshell could have had the effect of producing chaos in the camp. It could have led to a drop in morale. But it’s clear that the little Aprilia team has responded in the most positive way possible. Martin’s snub may have stung and offended, but it has galvanised the squad as well.

Since Silverstone, you can’t help but hear the scream of sub-texts whenever anybody from Aprilia speaks – particularly in the wake of success. Every comment about teamwork and effort and sticking together feels pointed…at a certain someone. 

Asked after Assen if the Martin situation was affecting the mood at his team, Bezzecchi replied: “No, it doesn’t affect it. My relationship with Aprilia is amazing. They welcomed me in a very good way. The whole factory is working well.

Despite joining Aprilia this year, Martin, who is currently injured, announced his intentions to trigger a contractual clause which may allow him to leave at the end of 2025

Photo by: Aprilia Racing

“I can only try to pay them back by giving my all in every corner. This is what I’m doing every weekend.”

Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola was even more direct after Assen, where Bezzecchi also scored his first sprint podium of the season with third.

“The fact that he stayed right on Marquez [in the GP], who we know is dominating this year, and that he still had a go all the way to the end, is significant,” he said. “This is a great sign of all the work that is being done in Noale.

“I continue to emphasise this because continuing to believe is no small feat for a manufacturer that had such a troubled start to the season. All of this hard work and Marco’s determination remind us of how much we truly appreciate everyone’s efforts.”

When he says “everyone”, it’s a weighty word. The man who was supposed to lead “everyone” is not around and doesn’t want to be. But “everyone” is getting on with it like never before, perhaps for exactly that reason.

That “everyone” also implies a genuinely important contribution from Lorenzo Savadori. Whilst effectively operating as a one-racer operation in Martin’s absence, Aprilia is finding the best way to use its development rider for Bezzecchi’s benefit. That became clear at Assen, when the Cesena tester tried parts on Saturday and went significantly faster than usual. Bezzecchi then used them to go one better on Sunday. 

The merits of running a team this way make for an interesting debate – compare KTM’s four riders so often pulling in different directions. That’s a discussion for another day, but it’s worth considering whether Martin would have been willing to play guinea pig on Saturday. Perhaps both riders would have waited until Friday in Germany to try the parts?

Martin's absence has galvanised Aprilia, which is now second in the manufacturers' standings

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Given Aprilia’s limited testing resources, there’s clearly something to be said for using Savadori this way. Especially as Savadori is doing the job with remarkable relish, showing himself to be a dedicated Aprilia man. It is extremely difficult to imagine, now, that any mechanic in that garage is looking forward to Martin sitting on Savadori’s bike. Could it be anything but awkward?

Technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini underlined Savadori’s contribution when he spoke after Saturday’s action.

“Credit should also go to Lorenzo, who continues to do an excellent job on the development side,” he said. “We’re testing a range of solutions with him, and when they work, we try them with Marco, as well. It’s a highly effective filtering process that helps us push development forward throughout the race weekend. It’s been a great team effort.”

The Martin situation has made “everyone” pull in the same direction – and it looks like that’s been worth a tenth or three. How many more can the RS-GP find before the big rules change in 2027?

Apart from that perhaps-not-entirely-accidental use of the phrase “team effort”, Sterlacchini also confirmed the theory that Aprilia is gathering genuine momentum with its on-circuit performance.

“Beyond outright speed, we’re increasingly able to bring all the pieces together – a result of both the bike’s development and Marco’s outstanding work,” he added. “Today’s podium gives real weight to what we’re building, not just in terms of performance, but also through tangible results. We aim to maintain this momentum and remain consistently at the front.”

On the evidence of the four races to have passed since Aprilia became the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons, I’m inclined to back the team to do just that. The Martin situation has made “everyone” pull in the same direction – and it looks like that’s been worth a tenth or three. How many more can the RS-GP find before the big rules change in 2027?

Martin has been declared fit for an upcoming test, but is likely to miss the upcoming race in Germany on 13 July

Photo by: Aprilia Racing