Praising the executives leading Aprilia is the easiest thing in the world today. Far harder was defending them not so long ago – at the end of 2024, for instance – when Maverick Vinales, the best-placed rider from the Noale-based outfit, finished the season ninth overall while practically cursing a bike whose performance, in his view, changed dramatically from one circuit to another.
At moments like that, the temptation is to panic and tear everything up structurally – as KTM did, and the Austrian manufacturer is still paying the price for a shake-up that now looks rushed and lacking in proper analysis.
In contrast, what Aprilia is experiencing today is the finest sporting moment in its history, and that takes nothing away from the string of titles it collected more than a decade ago in the championship’s smaller categories.
The Italian marque has claimed 10 of the 15 podium spots available so far this season, compared to Ducati’s three and KTM’s two. It has won four of the five races held so far in 2026, with last weekend’s clean sweep at Le Mans serving as the latest and clearest expression of the formula that has carried Piaggio’s racing arm to the top of MotoGP’s pyramid.
There is no hidden secret behind that success. It is the result of a working philosophy remarkably similar to the one that recently elevated Ducati – and, just as importantly, of resilience and perseverance.
Where KTM lost patience and lurched from a hiring frenzy to a wave of dismissals in less than two years, Aprilia endured the difficult moments and is now reaping the rewards with obvious satisfaction. That satisfaction grows even greater when one considers that, according to rival team sources consulted by Autosport, Aprilia is also the most efficient manufacturer on the grid relative to its MotoGP investment.
Massimo Rivola is the architect of Aprilia’s MotoGP programme
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
If there are individuals who deserve particular credit for shaping Aprilia’s rise, three names stand above the rest because of their positions and responsibilities within the structure: Massimo Rivola, CEO of the racing division and architect of the MotoGP project; Fabiano Sterlacchini, the technical director; and Marco de Luca, head of development.
Rivola arrived ahead of the 2019 season from Ferrari in Formula 1, where he had worked across several departments. De Luca followed him from the Scuderia. The arrival of the Italian aerodynamic specialist – and the confidence placed both in him and the group around him – helps explain why Aprilia has long been operating at the forefront of aerodynamics, to the point that some of its innovations, such as the under-seat winglet, have become trendsetters across the grid.
The flashes of brilliance seen in 2022 – when Aleix Espargaro delivered Aprilia’s first MotoGP victory and remained in title contention until the closing stages of the championship – were not sustained over the next two seasons. Yet that setback did not trigger drastic measures. Instead, Aprilia stayed the course and strengthened the organisation with another signing who would inject even more energy into an already deeply committed and ambitious group.
“We have to thank Fabiano for all the work he has done,” Rivola told a group of journalists in Le Mans that included Autosport. “He gave us what we were missing. He brought us the mindset of a true racing company when it comes to dealing with problems.”
And what exactly does Rivola mean by that “racing mindset”? Faster decision-making – and shorter reaction times.
Autosport understands that Sterlacchini’s management style differs considerably from that of Romano Albesiano, Aprilia’s former technical director who later moved to Honda, and whose role was ultimately filled by the former KTM engineer. In fact, Sterlacchini himself was once approached by HRC, although the two sides never reached an agreement.
Aprilia has claimed 10 of the 15 podium spots available in 2026
Photo by: Aprilia Racing
Most members of Aprilia’s engineering group highlight the freedom he gives them and the room he creates for proposing solutions. That atmosphere fuels enthusiasm internally and generates additional motivation – one of the key ingredients behind Aprilia’s success.
At this point, with the best bike on the grid sitting in its garage and Ducati somewhat destabilised by the uncertainty surrounding Marc Marquez’s injury, the only visible danger may come from within. Much will depend on what unfolds on track between Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin.
Not only because tensions between them could escalate in future on-track clashes, something that now feels almost inevitable, but also because the Italian may eventually feel it unfair that he carried out the bulk of the development work on a machine that has now become the benchmark – only for his team-mate, who is set to leave in 2027, to reap the benefits.
Still, someone like Rivola, hardened by years navigating F1’s shark-infested waters, has almost certainly anticipated the issue already – and likely devised a strategy to manage it.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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