Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola has made it clear that the Italian factory wants to beat Marc Marquez and Ducati in a straight fight before the 2025 MotoGP season is over.

The target was set after factory rider Marco Bezzecchi pushed Marquez all the way at the San Marino Grand Prix. Bezzecchi missed out by just 0.568s after a thrilling battle, showing that Aprilia can match the dominant Ducati rider on raw pace.

Earlier this year, Bezzecchi gave Aprilia a special moment at Silverstone with his first win for the team. It was also the only non-Ducati victory in dry conditions this season. However, that British Grand Prix came with its own circumstances: Marquez had an unusually poor weekend and finished third, while Fabio Quartararo retired after leading comfortably.

Since then, Marquez has been almost unbeatable, winning eight grands prix and eight sprint races in only nine weekends. That incredible run has highlighted the scale of Aprilia’s challenge.

Still, Rivola believes Misano proved the team can aim high. Speaking to reporters after the race , he said to Motorsport.com:

“At the moment we are behind the number 93, clearly. But thanks to Marco’s attitude, the mission is to try to beat him before the end of the season. Maybe at least just once – that is something we in Noale need to realise we can do.”

Rivola also pointed out the rising threat of young riders like Pedro Acosta, who was fast at Misano before suffering a technical issue. He stressed that Aprilia must stay focused in the final rounds.

One of Aprilia’s main goals for 2025 has been to develop a bike that works well on all types of circuits. In recent years, the RS-GP has won races but lacked consistency over a full season. The team also failed to beat Yamaha or KTM to second place in the constructors’ standings.

In 2024, Aprilia was the only manufacturer other than Ducati to win a grand prix, but it still finished behind KTM due to weaker results at certain tracks. This year, progress has been made: the RS-GP is stronger at stop-and-go circuits such as Austria and Misano, where Aprilia used to struggle. But that improvement has come at a cost. The bike no longer dominates at tracks where it once had a clear advantage, like Barcelona.

Rivola explained: “On those tracks where we normally were not competitive, like Austria or Misano, we are now competitive. But on the tracks where we used to be strong, like Barcelona, we don’t know if we still have that advantage.”

He added that Aprilia often takes longer to reach peak performance over a race weekend, with the RS-GP usually showing its best form in the main race rather than in practice or qualifying.

With the season now moving into the flyaway rounds, Rivola is keen to see how the RS-GP performs at high-speed circuits like Mandalika in Indonesia and Phillip Island in Australia. Those tracks will provide a clearer picture of whether Aprilia has finally built a true all-round package, and whether it can take the fight to Marc Marquez and Ducati on equal terms.