Between sponsors and salary, a MotoGP rider is definitely doing well: here’s who Marco Bezzecchi is and how much he earns, the Aprilia rider who is dominating MotoGP.
There’s a rider in the Italian-Spanish MotoGP who’s dominating the start of 2026, and he’s not doing it on a Ducati. His name is Marco Bezzecchi, he’s 27 years old, and, of course, he hails from Rimini, the Romagna region that’s so thriving in the world of two-wheel racing. Another important detail: he rides an Aprilia, and thanks to the Gresini team, he’s leading the standings with three wins in as many rounds.
Taking into account the Ducatis (in a slump this early in the season), the KTMs, and even his teammate and former world champion Jorge Martín, who is four points behind in the standings. But how much does Marco Bezzecchi earn? Strange but true: he’s not among the highest paid in the world championship. Here’s what we know.
Who is Marco Bezzecchi: the career of the rider who is dominating MotoGP
Marco Bezzecchi isn’t a last-minute surprise, but the result of a long career and... a lot of hard work. Raised in the Italian two-wheeled scene, he immediately stood out in the Campionato Italiano Velocità, where he won the Moto3 title in 2015 after coming close to victory the previous year. From there, the leap to the MotoGP World Championship was a natural progression, even though his first years in Moto3 were a learning curve.
The real turning point came in 2018: with KTM, he scored three victories and finished the championship in third place, demonstrating for the first time the combination of speed and solidity that has become his hallmark. The move to Moto2 required adjustment, but between 2020 and 2021, Bezzecchi became one of the protagonists of the category: victories, podiums, and a consistent presence at the top positions led him to finish two consecutive seasons in the top four.
His MotoGP debut came in 2022 with Ducati: he was immediately named rookie of the year. In 2023, he truly exploded, winning three races and finishing third in the championship. After a more challenging 2024, in 2025, he moved to Aprilia and everything changed: constant growth, important victories, and a great season finale that took him back to the world championship podium after 2023 (behind only the Marquez brothers).
Between the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026, he achieved his definitive confirmation with 5 consecutive victories. Can Bezzecchi really win the world championship?
How much does Marco Bezzecchi earn? The Aprilia rider isn’t among the highest-paid in the MotoGP World Championship
When it comes to MotoGP, the reference point for salaries is always Marc Marquez, who, including base salary and bonuses, earns a monstrous sum of between $15 and $20 million annually. This number is out of scale compared to the competition, but it reflects the economic value of the premier motorcycle racing series. Sure, we’re not at the level of Formula 1, where the "poorest" rider takes home $1 million a year, but we’re not far off.
According to several specialist sources, Marco Bezzecchi’s salary should be around $800,000 a year for the 2026 season. At current exchange rates, that’s just under €700,000. Much less than his teammate Jorge Martin, who earns over €4 million annually.
Sure, a nice sum, but we’re certainly not talking about one of the highest-paid riders in the class—quite the opposite. Behind him, in terms of salaries, are only Acosta, Di Giannantonio, Marini, and Ogura.
In any case, the Aprilia Racing rider has seen his contract increase in recent years. According to data from previous seasons, in fact, Bezzecchi between 2024 and 2025, he earned an annual salary of between €250,000 and €300,000. Definitely not much, in any case, for a rider who is fighting for the world championship and the overall relaunch of Aprilia.
Original article published on Money.it Italy. Original title: Quanto guadagna Marco Bezzecchi? Lo stipendio del pilota Aprilia MotoGP
