Sylvain Guintoli has commended Marco Bezzecchi for his remarkable performance during the 2025 MotoGP season, attributing much of the credit to Aprilia for transforming the performance characteristics of its RS-GP bike.
Last season, Aprilia debuted a completely new rider lineup, featuring Marco Bezzecchi and the reigning world champion Jorge Martin, along with a new technical director, Fabiano Sterlacchini.
However, when Martin was injured right before the pre-season tests, the responsibility for development rested entirely on Bezzecchi, who had never raced on factory-level equipment or guided a MotoGP project before.
Despite the challenging circumstances, initial consistent work led to significant advancements during the post-race test at Jerez. “After the Jerez test, we learned a few key things that boosted our confidence,” Bezzecchi noted in an interview with Crash.net.
Though specific details remain under wraps, Guintoli, a former grand prix rider and WorldSBK champion now serving as a MotoGP analyst for TNT Sports, observed a distinct evolution in the RS-GP’s performance. “The entire team has performed exceptionally well,” Guintoli commented.
Historically, Aprilia had been strong on flowing tracks but struggled on more demanding layouts with heavy braking. However, Guintoli emphasized that this year marked a departure from that trend, leading to substantial improvements in performance. “With Bezzecchi onboard, they’ve really managed to excel. It’s inspiring to witness,” he added.
With six wins (three from Grands Prix and three from Sprints) and a third-place finish in the world championship, Bezzecchi’s performance set a new standard for Aprilia. Guintoli expressed his pleasure at seeing his former team do well, noting that many of the same faces from his tenure are still part of the squad. “Perhaps the only downside for Bezzecchi was the incident in Mandalika,” he reflected, emphasizing that such occurrences are part of racing. He concluded optimism about Aprilia’s future as a contender in the championship.
