Aprilia and Ducati now on par: MotoGP concessions redraw the hierarchy

The MotoGP concessions system had a clear goal: to reduce the gap between the dominant Ducati and the rest of the field. Two years later, everything has changed.

We’re not talking about a crisis, but Ducati now steps down a rung and once again becomes a brand eligible for technical concessions. A change that arrived after the German GP, with Aprilia moving up instead, while for Honda the promotion achieved at the end of 2025 didn’t last long... Advantages and disadvantages that, in any case, have a limited shelf life, since the new technical regulations in 2027 will completely reset the situation.

As reported by our colleagues at Paddock-GP, Ducati has not accumulated enough points to maintain category A concessions and drops to B: it will be able to use three additional wild cards, more test days, and more tires for development. Aprilia, on the other hand, moves up a step, from class C to B: a change that reflects what we’ve seen so far, namely the significant progress made by the Veneto brand, which has become a major protagonist in the MotoGP World Championship. The 2026 championship therefore confirms a convergence of performance between Ducati and Aprilia, now “on equal footing” in the same category.

Honda had celebrated its “promotion” from class D to C right at the end of 2026. It didn’t last long: they’re back to the maximum level of allowances to speed up the rebuilding process. The same category where Yamaha remains, as it continues to struggle in MotoGP. As for KTM, it now becomes the only brand occupying category C in the concessions scale. Introduced in 2024, they were designed as a method to rebalance what was being called the “Ducati Cup.” The gap between manufacturers—by at least 2–3—has gradually decreased, showing a slightly more balanced championship, at least so far. We’ll see what happens in the second half of the season.