Aerodynamic revolution at Aprilia: "We're not just looking at Ducati

In the official MotoGP test at Valencia, Aprilia stole the spotlight. Not only thanks to the best laps set by Raul Fernandez and Marco Bezzecchi, but especially for the aggressive fairing used to disguise the new aerodynamic package. The RS-GP ended the 2025 season on a high and looks ahead to the next championship with optimism, even if Ducati remains the bike to beat.

The Noale squad unveiled the most eye-catching innovation at the end-of-season test. A zebra-style camouflage fairing that tried—without much success—to hide a complete overhaul of the RS-GP’s airflow management. The new aero pack includes a redesigned front wing and updated side pods. The most striking feature is the enlarged downwash ducts that direct air toward the ground, paired with two different configurations for the rear wings.

The man behind this innovation is Aprilia Racing’s technical director, Fabiano Sterlacchini. The goal is to raise the RS-GP’s performance ceiling for the upcoming MotoGP season. The engineers from Veneto want to strike the right balance between speed and handling. “A higher top speed doesn’t significantly improve lap times, but it makes overtaking and race management easier,” Sterlacchini explained, referring to the benefits of a bike with less aerodynamic load.

However, Aprilia’s new zebra livery aims for the exact opposite in some areas: generating downforce to slow the bike. “Meanwhile, by increasing aerodynamic drag—which is the opposite of what you need for top speed—you can improve braking performance. So we’ve tried to leverage every advantage to have the right aerodynamic coefficient in every phase of riding.”

But aerodynamics weren’t the only focus during the test at Ricardo Tormo. Jorge Martin found himself with a bike that was different not only aesthetically. “We also tested a different frame with Jorge. We made some changes, more radical than what you’d normally do during a race weekend, in preparation for next season. It’s important that in 2026 we start at least at the same level at which we ended the season.”

Finally, a word of caution. The MotoGP championship isn’t a two-horse race. Sterlacchini hasn’t lost sight of the revival of the sleeping giants: “To be honest, looking at the performances from Honda and KTM, particularly Acosta with KTM, Mir and sometimes even Marini, they’re showing improvements too. So,” concluded Gigi Dall’Igna’s former right-hand man, “we have to consider the rest of the field, not just Ducati.”