Marco Bezzecchi has signed to race for Aprilia in MotoGP from 2025, meaning a departure from the VR46 Racing Team and from Ducati.
Bezzecchi will join Jorge Martin in the factory Aprilia team from next season, as the Noale marque confirms an Italian rider for its project for the first time since 2021, when Lorenzo Savadori partnered Aleix Espargaro. Both Bezzecchi and Martin arrive on two-year deals that will see them through the end of 2026.
On the signing of Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola said: "We welcome one of the best Italian talents, who has proven his worth since his debut in the minor categories and, especially last year in MotoGP, with excellent performances and victories even in the breakaway.
"We can't wait to embrace 'Bez' in Noale as well; the combination of the Italian bike and the Italian rider is very fascinating, but even more so the pair of riders that will be formed with Jorge.
"We are really satisfied with our line-up for 2025, Martín and Bezzecchi were our first choice in terms of age, talent, grit and determination and with them we can write a new and important page for Aprilia Racing."
Bezzecchi's arrival in Aprilia means the Noale marque's factory squad is full for 2025, although its satellite bikes in the Trackhouse Racing team remain open.
Additionally, Bezzecchi leaves a space free at the VR46 Racing Team, meaning another satellite Ducati is available for next year alongside that left open at Gresini by Marc Marquez after his arrival at the factory Ducati team.
The #72 is the third rider to have won a race with Ducati in 2023 to have announced that he will leave at the end of 2024, after Jorge Martin announced he would join Aprilia and KTM confirmed the signing of Enea Bastianini and Maverick Vinales, the latter opening the space into which Bezzecchi has slotted at Aprilia.
