Right now, only one rider in MotoGP is pulling in a salary above £10m, and that’s Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo. His deal for 2024 is believed to be worth that much per year.

Not far behind him is a large group of riders on seven-figure salaries. World champion Marc Marquez picks up a base salary of £2.6m at Ducati, but bonuses have more than doubled that figure this year.

Marquez has never said he joined Ducati for the money, saying instead that his focus was on getting back to winning ways. That being said, he’ll likely be looking for an increase if he decides to extend his stay.

His teammate Francesco Bagnaia isn’t far behind in terms of earnings, taking home £6.5m before bonuses are added.

Bezzecchi the most underpaid rider in MotoGP

At the bottom of the salary list is Marco Bezzecchi, who’s thought to be earning £250k per year at Aprilia. He joined them ahead of the 2025 season after leaving VR46.

The Italian was one of the standout performers of the campaign. Only Marquez won more races, and nobody scored more points in the second half, a run that helped Bezzecchi finish third overall.

Jorge Martin was supposed to lead Aprilia this season, but injuries shifted that role to Bezzecchi. He’s taken it on well enough.

“It looks like a deal could get done quickly,” Simon Patterson said. “It is likely to be much more lucrative.” For comparison, Raul Fernandez, who finished tenth on identical equipment, and rookie Fermin Aldeguer are both earning £250k as well.

He has every right to make that argument. Aprilia were bold in their decision but they’re being rewarded for it.

Aprilia may struggle to pay Marco Bezzecchi what he’s worth

Aprilia don’t have the financial clout to compete with manufacturers like Honda and Yamaha. Jorge Martin could still leave, which would free up some more funds.

But that money might go towards a different target. Aprilia have been linked with Quartararo, who says he’s now prioritising competitiveness over cash.

Bezzecchi may be asked to sacrifice some funds so Massimo Rivola’s squad can compete for one of the grid’s most coveted riders.