RIVOLA SAYS MARTIN’S TITLE EXPERIENCE GIVES HIM AN EDGE OVER BEZZECCHI

Jorge Martin’s experience of both falling short and winning a MotoGP title could prove valuable as he and Aprilia team-mate Marco Bezzecchi pursue the championship, according to team CEO Massimo Rivola.

Martin lost the 2023 contest to Pecco Bagnaia, then returned the following year to beat the Italian and take the crown with Pramac Ducati. He now leads the standings by 12 points over reigning champion Marc Marquez, while Bezzecchi is 42 points off the top after previously leading the championship.

Rivola told Sky Italia that Martin’s past gives him two distinct lessons: “one is that he's already won a World Championship, and the other is that he's already lost one.” He added that Marquez has the same kind of experience to an even greater degree, saying his advantage is “multiplied by 10, 20, 30 times.”

For Rivola, the value lies in what a rider learns by living through the pressure and setbacks of a title campaign. “Having lost a world championship in a certain way, and then won it again, is a lesson that you learn from experience rather than theory,” he said. Bezzecchi, by contrast, has not yet had the opportunity to gain that particular experience.

Aprilia is still chasing its first premier-class riders’ title. Aleix Espargaro remained in contention deep into the 2022 season, but the team has yet to convert a championship challenge into the crown.

Ducati’s recent history offers an example of how repeated near-misses can precede success. The manufacturer finished runner-up in the riders’ championship in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 before Bagnaia secured its first title since Casey Stoner in 2022. Ducati has won the championship every season since.