Aprilia's entry into international competition began with the Motocross World Championship in the 125cc class between 1976 and 1981, recording a best result of fifth place in the 1979 season with rider Corrado Maddi. The company then pivoted to road racing in 1985, establishing the factory's focus on the FIM World Championship's Grand Prix classes.
Despite being a relatively small company by global motorcycling standards, Aprilia chose an ambitious path of active racing investment as a core part of its brand identity. That strategy proved especially fruitful in the smaller displacement categories—125cc and 250cc—where the team built a dominant record spanning nearly two decades.
Aprilia's first Grand Prix road race victory came at the 1987 San Marino motorcycle Grand Prix, where rider Loris Reggiani won the 250cc race. The team's first world championship followed in 1992, when Alessandro Gramigni claimed the 125cc title. Aprilia would go on to establish the record for most points earned by a manufacturer in a single 125cc season—410 points in 2007—surpassing any constructor's total in Grand Prix motorcycle racing history at that time. In 2011 the mark was broken by the same machinery, which won 16 of 17 races and earned 420 points. World champions who began their careers on Aprilia hardware in the smaller classes include Max Biaggi, Loris Capirossi, Alessandro Gramigni, Roberto Locatelli, Kazuto Sakata, and Valentino Rossi.
Aprilia entered the 500cc class in 1994 with an unconventional approach: a 250cc V-twin motor progressively enlarged first to 380cc and eventually to 430cc. While other manufacturers moved to V-4 configurations believed to deliver superior power outputs, Aprilia bet on the lighter weight and nimble handling of the two-cylinder layout. The bike's best result in the premier class was a third place by Doriano Romboni at the 1997 Dutch TT. Unable to overcome the power deficit at race starts, the program was withdrawn at the end of 1997 for further development that never resumed in that class.
Aprilia's first MotoGP entry, dubbed the RS Cube, featured a technically advanced inline triple-cylinder engine—giving it the fewest cylinders of any bike in the paddock—alongside pioneering technologies including ride-by-wire throttle and pneumatic valve actuation systems. Despite the innovations, the bike proved difficult to ride and scored poorly in the championship. Aprilia withdrew from MotoGP at the end of 2004.
Aprilia rejoined MotoGP in 2012 under the newly created Claiming Rule Team category, supplying RSV4 Superbike-derived bikes under the Aprilia Racing Technology (ART) name to Aspar Team, Paul Bird Motorsport, and Speed Master. In both the 2012 and 2013 seasons, the ART machinery stood out as the best-performing CRT bikes in the field.
From 2015 to 2021, Aprilia partnered with Gresini Racing as a factory-supported independent team, competing as Aprilia Racing Team Gresini with an all-new 1000cc V4-engined RS-GP. In 2022, Aprilia entered the series as an official factory team for the first time since 2004, under the Aprilia Racing name. Gresini Racing simultaneously returned to full independence using Ducati machinery.
Aprilia's factory team secured the marque's first premier-class Grand Prix victory in the 2022 Argentine Grand Prix, with Aleix Espargaró taking the win. The 2023 Catalan Grand Prix brought the team's first-ever 1-2 result in a feature race, with Espargaró and Maverick Viñales crossing the line in formation. In 2025, defending riders' champion Jorge Martín joined the factory team from Pramac Racing, with Marco Bezzecchi also arriving from VR46 Racing Team. Bezzecchi won the British Grand Prix on his Aprilia debut and closed the season with back-to-back victories in Portugal and Valencia—Aprilia's first such consecutive premier-class wins. In March 2026, Aprilia achieved a 1-2 finish at the United States motorcycle Grand Prix in Austin, with Bezzecchi winning and Martín finishing second.
Aprilia entered the Superbike World Championship in 1999 with a homologated version of the RSV Mille. The team recorded third-place finishes in the riders' championship in 2000 with Troy Corser and achieved third in manufacturers' standings in both 2001 and 2002, before withdrawing at the end of that season. Aprilia returned to World Superbike in 2009 with the RSV4, a new V-4 superbike unveiled in February 2008, and claimed both the riders' and manufacturers' championships in 2010 with Max Biaggi. Further manufacturers' titles followed in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Throughout its motorsport history, Aprilia has favored unconventional engine configurations. The V-2 500cc Grand Prix bike pursued a minority path at a time when the field moved to V-4s. The RS Cube's three-cylinder layout was unique in MotoGP. The RS Cube also pioneered technologies—ride-by-wire and pneumatic valve actuation—that later became widespread across the premier class. On August 15, 2010, Aprilia became the most successful motorcycle racing brand in history by victories, surpassing Italian rival MV Agusta's record of 275 wins.
Aprilia's sustained excellence in the 125cc and 250cc classes across the 1990s and 2000s shaped the careers of multiple world champions. The manufacturer's return to full factory MotoGP status in 2022 and subsequent premier-class victories from 2022 onward confirmed a competitive resurgence. Since 2024, Trackhouse Racing has served as Aprilia's satellite MotoGP team.
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