Strong team performance from Aprilia at Mugello: Three riders in the top 10, Bezzecchi finishes fifth – The podium remains (still) out of reach, but the direction is right
Aprilia put in a strong team performance at the MotoGP race in Mugello 2025, with three RS GP bikes finishing in the top 10. Marco Bezzecchi secured a solid fifth place, while Raul Fernandez from the Trackhouse team finished seventh. His teammate Orgura took tenth place.
For Bezzecchi, who started from tenth place, it was his best result since his Le Mans victory. He admits, “Of course, I wanted a little more, but I have to say that I really gave it my all. My pace was good enough for what I achieved. The four riders in front of me just had a little more.”
The top four, all Ducati riders, made a big difference, especially in the last six or seven laps. “They were about four tenths of a second ahead of me per lap.”
Bezzecchi had hoped to catch Fabio Di Giannantonio when he was in fourth place. “But when I started pushing, I realized that the front tire was completely worn out. Diggia was really fast.”
Bezzecchi: “Stability not where it should be yet”
While the VR46 rider was able to pass Francesco Bagnaia at the end to finish third on the podium, Bezzecchi remained in fifth place. “Like every Italian rider, I dreamed of a podium at Mugello. But in the end, I know that I gave it my all together with the team,” he said.
Regarding the gap to the Ducatis – in the end, he was four seconds behind Bagnaia – he explained: “Our bike is competitive, especially with a strong front end. But the stability is not quite where it should be yet. On a track like this, where you need a lot of flow and corner speed, that’s not easy.”
“We’re still struggling a bit with new tires, even though we’ve made a big step forward since the start of the season,” said Bezzecchi, addressing the Achilles’ heel. “But the Ducatis are perfect, so we have to keep searching for perfection.”
When asked whether he could have fought for the podium with a better starting position than P10, he replied: “I don’t think so. My rhythm was just like that. Di Giannantonio started right in front of me, we overtook each other, but in the end he took another step forward and I stayed in fifth place.”
Fernandez has a better race despite handicap
Fernandez had a remarkable race after a difficult start and finished seventh. “I’m really happy! The pace was good, but after the first lap I was back in 15th place. We still need to find something for the start.”
“After that, I felt like we were able to fight well and it was easy to keep up with the other manufacturers,” Fernandez continued, although he admitted that the aftermath of his crash on Friday limited him a little.
“After the crash, my arm felt strange and the last ten laps were pretty tough to manage. Without the pain, I think I could have fought with Franco (Morbidelli, editor’s note) for sixth place.” Nevertheless, Fernandez was satisfied with the result, which saw him equal his best finish at Le Mans.
“I feel good about the result, especially after all the difficulties at the start of the season. This race gives me a lot of confidence for the future. At the moment, I’m probably only using 80 percent of the bike’s potential after the upgrades. I still need some time to fully adapt.”
