Marco Bezzecchi admits he made “a bad mistake” on the first lap of the Argentina MotoGP race which took him out of points contention.

Bezzecchi and Aprilia were expecting to be strong around a circuit where the Italian won two years ago, but the potential never materialised throughout the weekend.

The Rimini native struggled in qualifying and as a result was attempting to make progress down into the first corner in Sunday’s race, but an overly ambitious move saw him make contact with the rear tyre of Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo.

While the Frenchman was able to continue running, albeit finishing down in 14th, Bezzecchi’s race ended in the gravel after the incident, which he has since taken full responsibility for.

“It was my mistake – I braked too late,” Bezzecchi said to Crash.net. “I managed to miss Franco Morbidelli, but unfortunately, I hit Fabio Quartararo’s rear tyre.

“So a bad mistake by me. I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise to Fabio. I’ve already apologised to his team.”

“We had the pace to battle for the good positions,” Bezzecchi continued.

“We still need to improve in qualifying, and that will be my goal for the next GP.

“I also felt good on the bike in the warm-up session, and I expected to be able to ride a good race, but the mistake on the first corner changed my plans.”

Fabio Quartararo: ‘not much to say’ about Marco Bezzecchi crash

Quartararo admitted the incident was “unfortunate” but that his Yamaha machinery did not have the pace to keep up with the front runners regardless of the incident.

“There’s not much to say,” commented Quartararo. “The touch between Bezzecchi and me in the first corner was unfortunate. I went wide, I was in last place, and also our pace was not super good all weekend.”

“I could have maybe been a few positions higher, because starting the race like this, you pretty much keep your position. But it was a really tough weekend overall. Let’s see if we can do a bit better at the next GP.”

Bezzecchi was not penalised for the incident by the stewards after the race.

The post Marco Bezzecchi takes responsibility for crashing out of Argentina MotoGP appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Defending MotoGP champion Jorge Martin has confirmed he will miss the third round of the 2025 MotoGP championship in Texas.

Martin suffered a highside at the pre-season test in Sepang after suffering a tank slapper on his RS-GP, putting him out of contention for the rest of testing in Asia.

Despite undergoing successful surgery after suffering fractures to his right hand and left foot, Martin suffered another fracture to his left hand following a training accident. The Spaniard suffered a complex fracture of the radius.

On Thursday, on the eve of the second round of the season in Argentina, Martin revealed on a virtual call an update of his injury situation.

“[I] am struggling to recover fast, as fast I would like,” Martin revealed.

“I can say from here also that I won’t be in Austin, I would like to be there but I won’t be racing.

“I don’t know also if I can be there at Qatar, I don’t know yet, this is still really early for sure.

“I will like to make some kind of test for coming back to racing.

“I know Massimo [Rivola] is working on that so let’s see if we can make it possible.”

Martin’s return date is still up in the air and if he misses the Qatar race weekend too, his next nearest return date will be at Jerez from April 25-27, the fifth round of the championship.

Lorenzo Savadori will continue to stand in for Martin for the next two races.

The post Jorge Martin confirms he will miss the Americas MotoGP round appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Marco Bezzecchi says his Aprilia machinery “doesn’t always accept” how he rides during qualifying following the opening MotoGP round in Thailand.

Bezzecchi started his career with the Noale-based factory by qualifying eighth and finishing inside the top six in the main race on Sunday.

The Italian said he “expected” his season to start in this manner but stressed he is still aiming for better results from qualifying.

“At the end, it’s not better, not worse,” he said via Crash.net.

“It’s almost how I expected to begin the season. To be honest, I wanted to do better in qualifying.

“Still in time attack I’m not the best. I didn’t try many time attacks in testing because of the items to try, so we didn’t concentrate on that and I think I’m paying a bit for this lack of time attacks in testing.

“It’s the point where I have to improve the most. I think when I have to ride even more by instinct like I’m used to doing in the past years, the bike doesn’t always accept how I ride in time attack.

“So, this is why I make some small mistakes.”

Marco Bezzecchi: ‘Tough to deal with Aprilia front tyre temperatures’

Speaking about his debut grand prix aboard the RS-GP, the Rimini native suggested the front tyre overheating prevented him from making any progress after the race start.

“The start was ok, fortunately, and from that point, it was completely another story,” he said of his grand prix.

“It was tough anyway because being behind some bikes puts everything really hot, especially the front tyre that from the beginning was over-temp.

“I had the alarms on the dash through all the race. Also when I passed Jack [Miller], I had free space in front, I spent four laps trying to remove the alarms from the dash.

“But anyway, some positive points. I wanted to get in front of Jack and Raul [Fernandez] earlier, but I wasn’t fast enough to immediately overtake.”

Aprilia has struggled in recent years with the heat generated by the bike in the flyaway rounds, but Bezzecchi said it was better than what past Aprilia riders had said.

Speaking about the heat of the bike, Bezzecchi stated: “Really, really good, to be honest,”

“It was hot, of course, it’s b******* if I say not. But it was nothing crazy compared to the other bikes.

“I expected hearing the comments from Aleix [Espargaro] and Maverick [Vinales] in the last years much, much worse.

“Or I’m very fit or the bike is very fresh. One of the two. I think the second!”

The post Marco Bezzecchi: Aprilia MotoGP bike ‘doesn’t accept how I ride’ appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Aprilia has announced that Jorge Martin will miss the first two MotoGP rounds of the 2025 season in Thailand and Argentina.

The earliest opportunity the reigning champion will race will be at the Americas Grand Prix weekend on the 28th-30th March.

Martin suffered a major blow in testing after suffering a tank slapper on his RS-GP at the Sepang test, putting him out of contention for the rest of testing.

Despite undergoing successful surgery after suffering fractures to his right hand and left foot, Martin suffered another fracture to his left hand following a training accident.

“For sure it will not be in Argentina,” Rivola told MotoGP.com.

“Then we will see, we want to have him in very good shape. I do not want to rush any recovery, and put him on a bike when he is not fit.

“According to Doctor Mir, the surgery was quite good. So we are positive. But at the moment we don’t even have to think about when he will be back.

“He will only come back when he’s really fit. We don’t want to risk his condition at all. So I prefer to look at this new era of Aprilia, with these two new riders in a long-term rather than short-term vision.”

Jorge Martin vows he will ‘push through’ his injuries

Martin took to social media and released a statement vowing to “push through” his injuries.

It is unclear as of yet whether the Spaniard will make a return at the third round in Texas, but he shared he will return when he is fully recovered.

“Blows are always tough, but when they come one after another, the impact multiplies. This time, they have been especially hard, both physically and mentally, and for the first time in my life, they have made me miss the season’s opening race,” the Spaniard shared on his Instagram page.

“The year is not starting as I would like. On Monday, while training for the first time after the crash in Sepang to be in the best possible condition for Thailand, I suffered a highside that caused four new fractures, in addition to the three I was already dealing with from two weeks ago.

“One thing I know for sure is that blows can be overcome. I don’t know if this will make me stronger, but I do know that I will push through, just as I always have.

“My only goal now is to recover 100% so I can get back to racing and enjoying my passion—motorcycles. Because there are many races, but only one hand.

“Thank you to Aprilia for supporting me at all times, to my family, to all my fans, and to everyone who encourages me every day. From the bottom of my heart.”

READ MORE – Jorge Martin’s opening ‘four’ MotoGP races with Aprilia seen ‘as a test’

The post Jorge Martin to miss Thai and Argentine MotoGP races appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Reigning MotoGP champion Jorge Martin will miss out on the season opener at the Thai Grand Prix after suffering a fracture during training.

It is reported that Martin to have broken his left hand on Monday, with the Spaniard set to undergo another operation on Tuesday. (Via Motorsport)

The Aprilia rider has had limited testing time aboard his new Aprilia after he suffered a highside at the Sepang MotoGP test, resulting in him missing both pre-season tests.

Martin has now suffered fractures to his left hand, left foot and now his right hand ahead of the season opener.

It is currently unclear how long the recovery process will take, but Aprilia is expected to call upon its test rider Lorenzo Savadori to fill in for the season opener.

The Spaniard’s absence means the last time he spent more than an hour on his new Italian marque was at the 2024 end-of-season test in Barcelona.

READ MORE – Jorge Martin’s opening ‘four’ MotoGP races with Aprilia seen ‘as a test’

The post Jorge Martin to miss Thai MotoGP season opener appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Aprilia targets Jorge Martin’s opening four MotoGP races with the team “as a test” in a bid to acclimatise him to his new team.

This target arrives after a torrid start to the reigning MotoGP champion’s new chapter at Aprilia after the Spaniard suffered hand and foot fractures on the first day of pre-season testing.

Martin’s highside at Turn 2 on Day 1 at Sepang resulted in him missing the rest of the test in Kuala Lumpur and the following test in Thailand.

Aprilia expects Martin will take the first four races of the season to adjust properly to the new RS-GP 25, especially as the team has made numerous improvements since the Barcelona test at the back end of 2024.

“We are waiting for Jorge because it is necessary to bring to him, for the first race, the base set up that we found during this winter,” Aprilia team manager Paolo Bonora said to MotoGP.com.

“We hope that during the first race, he will immediately find confidence with the bike.

“At the moment, his medical recovery plan is fully under control. He is finding [each] day a better and better feeling. So we are looking forward to having him with us as soon as possible.”

“To be fully honest with you, we consider the first four races in the overseas as a test for Jorge because he lost the opportunity to test during Sepang and Buriram,” Bonora explained.

“And in MotoGP when you jump from one bike to a new one, you have to find the confidence.

“It will not be easy but we will put all our energy to help him.”

Despite Jorge Martin’s absence, Aprilia ‘did all the job’ in both pre-season tests

Though Martin’s absence was not what the Italian marque had hoped for, Bonora explained that Aprilia had a successful pre-season test anyway.

“After the Sepang injury we had to redefine our plan,” Bonora explained.

“We had many things to test, so at the end, luckily, we did all the job. We finished all our test plan, all our long, long, long test list.

“For sure Marco did a very great job. He defined his base setup, electronic side and chassis side. And having [test rider] Lorenzo Savadori helped us a lot to define all the parts that we can bring to Jorge.

“We have seen that Marco immediately felt the confidence here in Buriram so this gives us more confidence to bring to Jorge a good bike.”

Martin will feature at the season opener in Thailand on the 28th of February, as he will look to defend his MotoGP crown.

The post Jorge Martin’s opening ‘four’ MotoGP races with Aprilia seen ‘as a test’ appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Marco Bezzecchi admitted he had found the adaptation process with Aprilia “difficult” throughout the MotoGP test in Sepang.

The Italian completed his first test in 2025 aboard his new RS-GP machinery after he made the move over from VR46 Ducati.

Bezzecchi finished ninth on the final day after completing a time attack, posting his best time of 1.57.328s.

Despite having limited time testing the Aprilia, Bezzecchi’s feedback is crucial, especially given the absence of Jorge Martin and Raul Fernandez, who suffered injuries from crashing out on Day 1.

The 26-year-old revealed that while he found the adaptation process tricky, he was unable to extract the maximum performance from the Italian marque.

“Today I actually did a real time attack. I’m happy about the performance,” he said to Crash.net.

“I think I didn’t put the bike at the limit, but not because of the bike, more because of myself. Still I need to understand better and understand where is the limit of the bike.

“I think Sava [Lorenzo Savadori, Aprilia test rider] actually rides in a better way the Aprilia,” Bezzecchi said.

“His style was born on the Aprilia, so for sure he knows better how to ride it. I think I’m still adapting myself; in braking I’m quite strong, so I try to maximise this strong point that I have in my riding.

“But still sometimes, with the Aprilia, I’m still trying to do what I was doing before.

“So, of course, I still need to adapt a bit, but I’m working on it and in some corners I was able to ride how I like to ride.”

“At the end, I’m quite satisfied. But it’s also difficult, to be honest, to get the rhythm when you try many things.

Bezzecchi compares Aprilia bikes from Barcelona to Sepang test

The Rimini-born star drew comparisons between the Aprilia bikes from the 2024 end-of-season test in Barcelona and the bike brought to Sepang.

He felt as though the Aprilia at Sepang was an improvement, but it’s down to him to decide whether certain parts are discarded, despite the refinement.

“We started with the Barcelona bike and then moved on to the new one, so as to understand everything. In the end I liked the latter better and afterwards we continued to work on that one,” he said to GPOne.

“In the end I liked the latter better and afterwards we continued to work on that one. At the moment we are a little behind because there are so many things to try.

“Still, the bike gives me good feelings, especially at the front, knowing that there are some things I have to adapt to.

“I think it’s [the Aprilia Sepang bike] a small step forward, but it’s still early to say more. Personally I felt good, in fact all the things I tried were better. However, I need time to evaluate and understand what to keep or not.

He added: “This bike turns much more than last year’s [GP23 Ducati] bike. For sure, we have to solve some problems on the rear; it moves a lot, I felt it already at Montmelo.

“However, I think it’s a mix between tires and electronics, although I don’t have the experience to take stock of that.”

The post Marco Bezzecchi admits ‘difficult’ Aprilia adaptation throughout Sepang MotoGP test appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Jorge Martin will miss the rest of the Sepang MotoGP pre-season test after suffering a huge highside resulting in multiple fractures.

The Spaniard continued adapting to his Aprilia machinery after a positive test in Barcelona at the end of the 2024 season.

However, the reigning MotoGP champion crashed out on two separate occasions throughout the session, with his first crash at Turn 1.

Martin was unfazed by this crash as he dashed back to the pit lane to mount on his second bike, before suffering a violent highside at Turn 2.

Aprilia released a statement revealing the extent of Martin’s injuries after he was sent to the hospital for checks: “Jorge Martin has been diagnosed with a right hand fracture and fractures in his left foot.

“He has undergone a CT scan and MRI, both of which were negative for any head injuries.

“He will stay in hospital overnight and tomorrow he will fly back to Europe to undergo surgery on both his right hand and left foot

“Jorge Martin suffered a closed fracture of the 5th metacarpal head of the right hand and a closed fracture of the 3rd, 4th and 5th metatarsals of the left foot.”

Martin will aim to be back for the next test in Thailand which will start on the 13th of February.

The post Jorge Martin to miss rest of Sepang MotoGP test after huge highside appeared first on Motorsport Week.

The 2025 MotoGP season marks a campaign of change at Aprilia with two new riders bringing a new level of expectation to the team. 

Reigning world champion Jorge Martin leads the Italian manufacturer in one of 2025’s most dramatic rider changes and will be joined by Marco Bezzecchi in arguably Aprilia’s best ever MotoGP lineup.

Both Martin and Bezzecchi come to the team with a desire to develop the RS-GP bike following a lacklustre 2024 for the Noale factory, as its traditionally ‘strong’ showings at low grip circuits failed to materialise last season, aside from Aleix Espargaro’s chance victory in the Barcelona Sprint.

Aprilia’s only real highlight of 2024 was Maverick Vinales’ dominant weekend in Austin, which may raise some concerns for both Martin and Bezzecchi as they attempt to battle the might of Ducati after leaving the manufacturer ahead of the new season.

While Martin says he doesn’t regret signing for the Italian outfit despite its recent struggles, he will be a heavy underdog in the fight to retain his world title due to the power of Ducati’s super team of Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, and it is likely he will need a period of adaptation to the new machinery.

“Bringing the Aprilia to fight for the championship won’t be easy, so the ambition for the new season isn’t that,” admitted Martin to the TengoUnPlan podcast.

“The opportunity could present itself maybe as early as 2026 but, for now, I just have to try to do my best.”

On the other side of the garage, Bezzecchi joins Aprilia with something to prove after his struggles at VR46 last campaign.

Bezzecchi had been touted for a potential ride in the factory Ducati team after a strong showing in the 2023 season, however his failure to adapt to the GP23 halted the Italian’s progress as he was only able to score one podium last year.

The downturn in form for the Italian means question marks have been raised as to whether his 2023 performance was a one-off, which means Bezzecchi will have doubters to prove wrong ahead of the new season.

A new technical direction for Aprilia in 2025?

Another big change for Aprilia going into the new season is the introduction of technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini.

Sterlacchini joins the team following his exit from KTM and will hope to build on the legacy left by Romano Albesiano, who departed for Honda at the end of 2024.

Following his first outing with the team at the Barcelona test, Sterlacchini said that the approach of both Martin and Bezzecchi was positive and that the bike was responding well to the riders’ feedback.

“It’s going pretty well,” Sterlacchini told TG Regione Marche in December, “The initial approach of both riders, both Martin and Bezzecchi, was pretty positive.

“They showed some very good characteristics of the bike.

“Obviously there will be some aspects to work on, but dealing with these two riders will give us the yardstick of where we are and the aspects where we need to work.

“They both come from a very fast bike and Jorge in particular is the reigning world champion.”

The post What to expect from Aprilia in the 2025 MotoGP season appeared first on Motorsport Week.

On Thursday afternoon the factory Aprilia team became the second outfit to showcase its 2025 MotoGP livery.

The Noale factory squad is geared up for the upcoming season, with a brand-new lineup to boot.

The 2024 MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin joins after switching from Ducati, a move that sparked major discussions within the paddock, especially after he missed out on a factory Ducati seat to Marc Marquez.

Martin made history by becoming the first rider to win the MotoGP championship for an independent team. For the upcoming season, he will take the #1 plate, which features his trademark #89 inside.

VR46 Academy graduate Marco Bezzecchi will accompany the Spaniard for the upcoming season, with the Italian riding a factory bike for the first time.

The factory Aprilia’s 2024 rider line-up has seen three-time race winner Aleix Espargaro retire from full-time racing, with the Spaniard moving on to become a test rider for Honda.

His teammate Maverick Vinales announced his departure from the team and will join KTM Tech3 working beside Enea Bastianini.

In 2024, Aprilia was the sole manufacturer to halt Ducati from winning every Grand Prix. Vinales completed a remarkable victory at the Circuit of the Americas after falling to 11th on the first lap.

However, the Italian marque wasn’t able to keep up its form from the early part of the season, finishing third in the Constructors’ Championship and fourth in the Teams’ Standings.

The post Aprilia showcases 2025 MotoGP livery appeared first on Motorsport Week.