Aprilia Overtakes Ducati: Michele Pirro's Harsh Truth

The MotoGP championship is experiencing a changing of the guard. Until last year, Ducati was an unbeatable bike, with Alex and Marc Marquez at the top of the standings. Both knew that repeating the “family” feat would be complicated. And indeed Aprilia have started the season in style, with three wins out of three signed by Marco Bezzecchi. What is really happening behind the walls of Borgo Panigale?

The 2026 MotoGP World Championship immediately put an end to Ducati’s historic record, off the podium after 88 consecutive Grands Prix. A first wake-up call for the Desmosedici, struggling both with the factory GP26 version and the GP25. Over the winter, the Noale manufacturer pulled off a noteworthy technical overtake, awaiting further confirmation with the arrival of the European rounds on the calendar. Starting with Jerez, usually a hunting ground for the Marquez brothers.

Meanwhile, the men in red are working on two fronts: the evolution of the GP26 and the preparation of the next prototype that will usher in the era of 850cc engines from 2027. Leading the testing is veteran test rider Michele Pirro, who pays respect to the rivals from the Veneto brand. “It’s part of sport; there are cycles. Now it’s Aprilia’s moment; they are in great shape,” he explained to Corriere Romagna. “It was something that had to happen sooner or later. We’ve had our limits, but we’re coping. Marc isn’t in peak form, but Aprilia already made a big step forward at the end of last year and now they’ve started brilliantly. The World Championship is long, and I’m confident we can react. This break is positive, also to allow Marc to recover.”

In truth, the nine-time world champion still hasn’t fully recovered from the Mandalika crash last autumn. He also suffered another fall, at almost 200 km/h, during the MotoGP weekend in Texas. Marc Marquez is still not at his best, and as a result he cannot fully exploit the potential of the Desmosedici. His health is even starting to raise doubts about his professional future. As he has always said and reiterated, he will sign a contract extension only if his right shoulder no longer causes problems. And so far there has been no official announcement about his renewal with Ducati.

Jerez will be a pivotal junction for the 2025 championship. The track suits Marc Marquez’s riding style perfectly; he will arrive at his home round after a long break that should ensure a good state of form. There will also be a MotoGP test day to take advantage of in order to assess technical updates. “At Jerez, Aprilia will be strong and Bezzecchi looks very competitive, but I think we can do it,” Michele Pirro stressed. “There are aspects we can still improve. Perhaps we’re more competitive on Saturdays than on Sundays, but that’s part of the sport. We’re chasing, but we’re also working on the 2027 project, so we have a lot of work to do.”

In any case, in MotoGP it’s not how you start that counts, but how you finish. There is plenty of time to recover, and Marc Marquez remains the favorite to win the world title. His brother Alex remembers the 2025 Jerez race perfectly… “I took my first victory. I hope we can seize this opportunity to change the course of the season after this start that’s been more complicated than expected and kick off the European tour in the best possible way,” said the Gresini rider.

MotoGP will return to the track after a break of almost a month, during which riders and teams took the opportunity to try to recharge. For Alex Marquez it was no different: “This break was useful to regain balance and get back to 100%. I was able to spend time with my family and resume training to arrive in optimal condition.”