Veteran MotoGP rider manager Carlo Pernat believes that Aprilia may now have the best bike in MotoGP. He says the 2025 Aprilia RS-GP could even be better than the Ducati that won the world championship.

Ducati had a very strong season in 2025. The Italian brand won all three world titles and took 17 victories from 22 races. Marc Márquez played a huge role in this success. He won 11 races and comfortably secured his seventh MotoGP world title, his first since joining the factory Ducati team.

However, not everything went smoothly for Ducati. The 2025 Desmosedici was difficult to ride for some of its other riders. Pecco Bagnaia had a tough and inconsistent year, winning only two races. This was a big drop compared to 2024, when he won 11 races and finished second in the championship. Fabio Di Giannantonio also struggled to find regular strong results.

While Ducati faced some problems, Aprilia enjoyed its best MotoGP season ever. The 2025 RS-GP won four races and helped Aprilia finish second in the manufacturers’ championship. During the second half of the season, Aprilia riders were often fighting at the front with Ducati and Marc Márquez. This showed that the team has made a big step forward.

Carlo Pernat believes Marc Márquez was the key reason Ducati won the title, but he is not sure that will be enough in the future.

“Let’s be honest: Marc made the difference,” Pernat said in an interview to MotoGP.com. “But I don’t know if that will be enough next year.”

He even suggested that Aprilia’s bike may now be stronger overall.

“After what we saw this season, I am almost tempted to say that the Aprilia RS-GP was a better bike than the Ducati,” he added.

Pernat also praised Marco Bezzecchi, who had an excellent 2025 season with Aprilia. Bezzecchi won two races and finished third in the world championship.

“Have you seen the kind of rider Marco has become?” Pernat said. “We always knew he was talented, but his growth has been incredible. He now shows real seriousness, a strong desire to work, and a hunger to improve. You don’t see that very often.”

With a fast bike and riders who are improving quickly, Aprilia now looks like a real title contender. If the team continues to develop in the same way, a serious championship challenge in 2026 could be very possible.