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.
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.
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.
