From ‘worst manufacturers’ to ‘whole package’ - How Aprilia became championship contenders after Marco Bezzecchi triumph at Grand Prix Valencia

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TNT Sports pundits Sylvain Guintoli, Michael Laverty and Neil Hodgson were united in their praise not just for Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi, but the achievements of the Italian manufacturer this season. Bezzecchi won from pole position at Grand Prix Valencia, with Aprilia satellite team Trackhouse providing the second-placed rider, Raul Fernandez.

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Sylvain Guintoli, Michael Laverty and Neil Hodgson praised Aprilia and recognised the manufacturer’s potential after Marco Bezzecchi won at Grand Prix Valencia.

The Aprilia rider led from the first second until the last in Spain to put Saturday’s disappointment behind him, when he swiftly dropped down the pack in the Sprint race before finishing in fifth place.

In that race, Aprilia satellite team Trackhouse scored fourth place with Raul Fernandez, and it was Fernandez who came second in Sunday’s full-length event for an impressive one-two for the manufacturer.

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After Bezzecchi’s victory in Portugal in the previous race last weekend in Portimao, it was the first time that Aprilia had achieved back-to-back wins in their history.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Hodgson contrasted Saturday’s underwhelming result with the following day, and said: "Got it wrong [yesterday], tyres and ride height device not working properly at the start of the race.

"He made up for it today. 25 points, a class ride today. No mistakes, under pressure as well."

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'Nobody wanted to ride for them' - Hodgson on Aprilia's nadir

Asked about Aprilia’s ascent after years in the relative wilderness, Hodgson recalled a time when they were seen as the ugly duckling of the sport.

He observed: "It wasn't long ago since they were the worst manufacturers in MotoGP. Nobody wanted to ride for them.

"Do you remember Joe Roberts turning them down, other riders turning them down?"

Hodgson was also impressed by Trackhouse’s decision to extend Fernandez’s stay with the team when many believed he should be let go.

He said: "All the faith Trackhouse put in him, it was the right decision to keep him. We thought they were bonkers.

"How's he managed to keep another two-year deal? It looks like a very clever signing."

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Laverty - Bezzecchi is 'a future superstar'

Laverty spoke later about the manufacturer and noted that with Jorge Martin set to return to full fitness over the season break, they have three very talented riders for the 2026 campaign.

"They've got Jorge Martin, the outgoing champion," he began. They've got Marco Bezzecchi, they built him up to be a future superstar. The synergy there, the Italian rider and the Italian team.

"They've believed in Raul Fernandez, all of a sudden he's arrived. No one expected that from Raul Fernandez."

Guintoli - Aprilia have 'got the whole package'

Guintolli gave recognition to the step-up in performance since the midway point of the season just finished.

While once they were an inconsistent team, he said, they are now able to compete better on all kinds of tracks.

He explained: "It's something they've not been able to do in the past. They had a bike that on some tracks was super efficient and working really well on long-cornered tracks, Silverstone and Barcelona, and we knew they were going to perform.

"Since the half-season, they've been able to perform on the stop-go tracks, they've solved the braking."

He concluded by suggesting that if the feat is repeated next season, they could challenge at the very top of MotoGP.

Guintoli added: "They're more stable. They're producing in qualifying. They've got the race pace. They're putting it all together. They can perform on different tracks. They've got the whole package to be in world championship contention."

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