Aprilia: We can learn a lot from Marc Marquez’s “intelligence and ability”

Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola believes his team can “learn a lot” from Marc Marquez, praising the Ducati rider’s "intelligence and ability” in recent races.

Marquez claimed his fourth victory in six grands prix at Aragon last weekend to move up to second place in the championship, splitting the Aprilias of Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi.

While the reigning world champion has pounced on all big opportunities over the last three months, he has also largely limited the damage when things weren’t going his way, scoring 13 points at Assen and adding another 10 at Silverstone.

It’s a strategy Marquez has never shied from admitting to, aware that his battered right arm and Ducati’s relative technical disadvantage prevents him from repeating the dominant run he enjoyed in 2025.

Following Aragon, Rivola heaped praise on his rival Marquez, adding that Aprilia’s riders could learn from his approach to managing the championship.

“We know we have an opponent like Marquez, who is one of the greatest riders in history. Having the honour of trying to beat him is fantastic. It’s a huge motivation, and we’ll keep trying until the very end,” Rivola told Sky Italia.

“I think there is something else we can learn from Marc. If you look at Mugello and Silverstone, it seemed like he was struggling, but in reality, he brought home the result without taking any risks, because he knows consistency is the most important thing. Then, when it’s time to deliver the victory, because he knows he’s the strongest, he does it.

“So, there’s a lot we need to learn from him, from his intelligence and ability, because you either have that or you don’t. But there is always something to learn from the strongest riders.”

Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images

Much like Marquez, Aprilia’s own factory riders have suffered mixed form throughout the season, with their results fluctuating heavily from one race to another.

Yet Martin, who has won only one grand prix so far this year compared to four each for Marquez and Bezzecchi, is leading the championship by nine points, having shown greater consistency and not missed any races due to injury.

Even at Aragon, the Spaniard was forced to settle for a pair of fifth places, after a dominant weekend at Silverstone where he claimed pole, won the sprint and finished second in the grand prix.

With the battle between Aprilia and Ducati only expected to heat up in the closing stages, Rivola hopes his crew can upset a manufacturer that has dominated the last four seasons in MotoGP.

“I always tell my guys that we shouldn’t be downcast when we come away with a fourth, fifth or even third place, because you can get used to good results very quickly, but we shouldn’t forget that we are fighting against giants and against people who are much more accustomed to winning than we are,” he said.

“Of course, if there’s one person who has believed that Bezzecchi and Martin could become world champions since last year, it’s me.

“It’s true that we’ve made the right moves, including, most recently, those for the future, but that isn’t enough. We’re here to fight, and we have to take this all the way to the final race.”