Where Massimo Rivola thinks Marco Bezzecchi still has room to grow

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Aprilia Boss Highlights Key Area for Improvement Despite Bezzecchi’s Strong Start

Aprilia team principal Massimo Rivola has pointed out where Marco Bezzecchi still needs to improve, despite the Italian’s impressive start to the 2026 season.

Bezzecchi closed out last year with back-to-back wins and hasn’t slowed down since. He’s already picked up three more victories in the longer races this term, building on his strong finish from 2025.

His lead at the top is a narrow one though, with Jorge Martin just four points behind. Martin’s return to form after an injury-hit campaign has added another layer of pressure to Bezzecchi’s title ambitions.

Lorenzo Savadori, Aprilia’s test rider, has said that a fully fit Martin might still have the edge over Bezzecchi. That’s something Bezzecchi will be keen to challenge as the season unfolds.

The team has already thrown its support behind Bezzecchi over Martin, who is expected to join Yamaha in 2027. And Rivola has backed that up by offering some advice aimed at helping him take full control of this championship fight.

Massimo Rivola identifies key area where Marco Bezzecchi must improve​

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Following the United States Grand Prix, Aprilia chief Massimo Rivola sat down with Sky Italia to discuss a range of topics, including the form of the current MotoGP championship leader.

Rivola spoke highly of Bezzecchi’s skills and described what he has brought to Noale since joining ahead of the 2025 campaign. He pointed out that while Bezzecchi has plenty of natural talent, there are still areas where he can get even better.

“Marco is a sensitive rider with a good understanding of the bike,” Rivola said. “We’ve guided him in learning to improve and to tell us so, in guiding us.”

“But he has this natural gift. It’s no small gift. As well as being a hard worker, he knows exactly how to explain what he feels.”

When asked about specific areas for improvement, Rivola pointed towards race weekend management: “Managing the race weekend. Simply put, just look at the Sprints: he crashed twice out of three when he could have won them or finished on the podium.”

He continued by noting that this is part of Bezzecchi’s learning curve: “But it’s all part of the experience he needs to gain because in the past he’d never won so many in a row, and it’s still early days for him to know how to handle that.”

Read more:

• Marc Marquez’s savvy call wins Alex Marquez’s respect despite early-season 2026 struggles
• Jorge Martin explains why he’s not focused on the 2026 MotoGP title fight with Marco Bezzecchi yet
• After years on the sidelines, Marc Marquez still can’t define his 100%

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