Rival MotoGP teams offering “a lot of money” to poach our riders

Aprilia has admitted that it may be forced into early contract talks with Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi, with rival teams “offering a lot of money” to lure its MotoGP riders away.

While Aprilia’s improved competitiveness has made it an increasingly attractive destination within the paddock, the market value of Bezzecchi and Martin has also risen sharply in recent years, intensifying interest from other manufacturers.

Bezzecchi ended 2025 on a high with back-to-back victories in Portugal and Valencia, establishing himself as one of Marc Marquez’s closest challengers heading into the new season.

Martin, meanwhile, had already attempted to activate a performance clause in his contract to leave Aprilia after 2025, with it widely believed that he had an offer to join Honda for this year. 

Aprilia’s contracts with both riders expire at the end of 2026, in line with much of the MotoGP grid, which remains tied into the current two-year cycle.

With new technical regulations looming in 2027, the rider market is moving at a rapid pace, as teams seek to secure their line-ups before the start of the season.

Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola admitted he would prefer to delay decisions over his 2027 line-up, but acknowledged that growing interest from rival teams may leave him with little choice.

“Honestly, I would prefer not to do it [sign riders] quickly, but maybe I am forced to do it quickly because the others are moving quite fast. I know that they are offering a lot of money to our riders,” Rivola said at Aprilia’s launch event.

“But at the end, it is a commitment that we need to have altogether.

“Clearly with Marco, we started building something that could allow me to see who he is. 

“With Jorge, we didn’t start yet. I would love to see him 100% physically, and he is far from being that. He is a world champion. So it would be really nice to see him with us in the future. But first we need to give him his time.”

Bezzecchi focused on securing a winning bike 

Last year, Bezzecchi secured a factory contract for the first time in his career, as he joined Aprilia after three seasons at Ducati’s satellite VR46 team.

While the Italian had already underlined his potential during a brilliant 2023 campaign in which he finished third in the standings, 2025 provided the clearest indication that he was ready for a championship assault with a factory.

He also emerged as Aprilia’s reference rider during the season, stepping into a leadership role after Martin missed much of the year due to a spate of injuries.

Ahead of the 2026 campaign, the 27-year-old said his priority is to secure the best possible package on the grid as he pursues his maiden title in grand prix racing.

Asked whether winning or financial factors carried greater weight in his contract considerations, Bezzecchi said: “It always depends on who you are, it depends on what your priorities are. 

“Ultimately, if you want to earn a lot of money and you have people working with you to give you what you want, your manager and the people who work for you will do what’s best for you. 

“If the best thing for you is to earn a lot of money, they’ll do their best to make you earn a lot of money. If you want the best bike and you’re willing to give up everything to try to have the best bike and to try to win, your manager must do what you want to try to make you feel better. 

“But it’s clear that when you win anyway, you already earn well. I think that now, nowadays, all the riders in MotoGP are there to try to win, and so everyone tries to do their best. 

“Then, of course, if you’re in a good moment and you take advantage of it, you earn even more, like in everything. But I don’t think that’s the focus. At least for me, personally, that’s not the goal of my life. 

“Mine is to try to do the best I can with the bikes, to fight to win, also because if I win I’ll also become rich. I’m even lucky twice over.”

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– The Autosport.com Team