Marco Bezzecchi celebrated his start-to-finish win at the MotoGP Valencia Grand Prix by taking home his 2025 Aprilia RS-GP, fulfilling a bet he made with Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola.
The 27-year-old secured third in the 2025 championship standings after the Valencia Sprint but admitted he was frustrated by his inability to fight for the podium from pole position. On Sunday, however, Bezzecchi led the 27-lap grand prix from start to finish, holding off late pressure from Raul Fernandez to claim his third main race victory of the season.
Following the race, Bezzecchi humorously “proposed” to his RS-GP on the cooldown lap, explaining the gesture was linked to a bet with Rivola: if he won three grand prix races, he could keep the bike.
“I love my bike. I won this bike in a bet with Massimo – if I won three races, the bike would come home. And I did, so I had to ask her if she wanted to marry me, and fortunately, she said yes,” Bezzecchi said.
He confirmed the RS-GP will occupy a prominent spot in his living room, in a space he intentionally kept empty all season as motivation.
Reflecting on his sprint struggles, Bezzecchi said the setback was a “slap in the face” that fueled his determination for the grand prix victory. “After the sprint, I was angry and motivated to fight today, so I’m very satisfied,” he added.
