Aprilia has signed VR46 rider Marco Bezzecchi on a multi-year contract to partner Jorge Martin at its factory MotoGP team from 2025.
As reported by Autosport, Bezzecchi will move to the Noale-based marque after three seasons with Ducati’s satellite VR46 squad, a stint that has so far yielded three grand prix victories and a best finish of third in the standings in 2023.
The deal marks the culmination of his goal of becoming a factory rider, although he had initially hoped to rise through the ranks within Ducati itself instead of moving to a different marque.
Bezzecchi was particularly keen on a graduation within Ducati after turning down the chance of racing the latest-spec Desmosedici at Pramac in 2024 in favour of continuity and familiar surroundings at VR46 – even though that meant competing on last year’s GP23 machinery.
![Marco Bezzecchi, VR46 Racing Team](https://i0.wp.com/cdn.motorsport.com/images/mgl/6l9XrMx0/s1000/marco-bezzecchi-vr46-racing-te.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1)
Marco Bezzecchi, VR46 Racing Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
However, Ducati’s decision to sign six-time champion Marc Marquez to team up with incumbent Francesco Bagnaia for 2025 put paid to any chances of a promotion within its roster next year.
Having endured a start to the 2024 season, scoring just one podium in the opening seven rounds and trailing team-mate Fabio di Giannantonio in the championship, he has now inked a deal to join the other Italian manufacturer in MotoGP.
His move to Aprilia is also seen as a marketing boost for the Noale-based marque, which finally has an Italian rider in its stable after fielding Spaniards Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales in the last few seasons.
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Bezzecchi’s recruitment means Aprilia will start the 2025 season with an all-new line-up. Espargaro, who has played a key role in Aprilia’s ascent from a distant backmarker to a regular race winner, announced his decision to retire from MotoGP at the end of 2024 and is now set to take on a test rider role at Aprilia.
Vinales, meanwhile, will move to the factory-supported Tech3 KTM squad in 2025 alongside Enea Bastianini.