APRILIA’S BEZZECCHI AND MARTIN RACE MISANO IN A VESPA-INSPIRED “BIANCA PERLA” LIVERY

Aprilia’s MotoGP team will race at Misano Adriatico with a striking “Vespa” theme, continuing a year-long celebration of the Piaggio group’s most famous brand. Speedweek reports that the white Aprilia RS-GP has already appeared in similar fashion before, including a previous repaint linked to Aprilia’s contract extension with Marco Bezzecchi. This time, however, the concept is expanded: both riders will be in white, and the overall look is built around Vespa’s 80-year legacy.

The event is framed as a home-race tribute, with Racing CEO Massimo Rivola explaining that the entire factory team’s Sunday appearance is dedicated to the scooter that has been central to Piaggio’s identity for decades. Rivola also linked the design to Formula 1 history, saying the artwork is meant to recall Gilles Villeneuve. “In the 80 years of the Vespa, an icon that has outlasted generations and is still a globally recognized symbol today, it would have been careless not to celebrate the connection to Gilles Villeneuve, one of the most popular drivers in F1 history,” Rivola said. He added that Villeneuve captivated millions through his talent and how he interpreted racing, in a way comparable to how Vespa has drawn in “millions of people.”

Rivola further described the Misano timing as an opportunity to honor two icons that belong to different worlds but share a lasting imprint on public imagination. He also pointed to a coincidence with another F1 reference: the Madrid Grand Prix taking place the same weekend, and that in Jarama in 1981 Gilles recorded his last win—the year from which the racing suit design being reinterpreted comes.

Speedweek notes that the team’s earlier PR concept in Sepang had featured Bezzecchi in a black racing suit alongside a white “bridal” prototype bike. At Misano, the theme is now fully embraced by the riders themselves, with the Aprilia’s white livery and the updated motif tying the MotoGP weekend to Vespa’s milestone and the Villeneuve tribute.