Jacopo Cerutti has been the star of Aprilia’s rally raid program since joining forces with the manufacturer in 2023. The partnership with continue for another two years after the two sides agreed on Wednesday to a contract extension through 2027.

“We are particularly proud to announce that we’ll be continuing with Jacopo for 2026 and 2027 as well,” said Aprilia sports director Massimo Rivola. “Over the past few years, he has become more than just a rider for us. He is dominating every off-road competition with his Aprilia Tuareg, and he is also an ambassador for the quality of our product and the competitiveness of our brand.”

Cerutti is the twice reigning winner of the Africa Eco Race. The 2025 edition, held in January, saw a dramatic battle between his Aprilia Tuareg and the Yamaha Ténéré of Alessandro Botturi that came down to the final day, with Cerutti coming out on top by just 26 seconds.

In late May, he won the Hellas Rally Raid for the second year in a row. Unlike 2024, where he only topped his class, Cerutti was the outright winner of the 2025 race as the lone rider to set a time below 20 hours.

Cerutti and Francesco Montanari were signed by Aprilia when they revived their rally division in 2023 after a decade away. He won the Italian Motorally Championship in his first year with the team.

“I’m proud to be part of the Aprilia family and to renew until 2027,” Cerutti stated. “I am extremely pleased with the way the past years have gone, and I can’t wait to have new experiences together, continuing to develop the bike and winning as much as possible. I am truly proud of this great work group, both with Team Guareschi and with the entire Aprilia family. I truly feel like I am in a family.”

While Aprilia has expressed interest in a return to the Dakar Rally someday, they currently do not have an updated 450cc motorcycle. Of course, Cerutti would be a prime candidate to lead that effort if it happens in the near future; besides his successes with Aprilia, he ran the Dakar from 2016 to 2020.

Featured image credit: Aprilia Racing