Bezzecchi shines at Sepang: the new Aprilia is already quick, signs of the No. 1 challenger to Ducati

The Sepang tests have already provided some interesting data. The Ducatis are no longer a surprise, but watch out for Marco Bezzecchi!

These are only the first tests, but the standings from the last day at Sepang in particular told us one thing: Ducati dominated the scene, but in the mix there’s Aprilia with Marco Bezzecchi. Finishing third and the true revelation of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship, the only rider officially confirmed so far for the next two years, he picked up right where he left off last year, after exponential growth thanks to an ever-stronger understanding with the RS-GP. Excellent news for both him and Aprilia—the bid to be the top anti-Ducati contender is already on the table. Another bright note is the 7th place of Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez, indicating how the Veneto manufacturer is working hard to be increasingly competitive, relying more and more on data collected by the satellite team.

Flanked by the tireless test rider Savadori, extremely active for six days between the shakedown and official tests, Marco Bezzecchi had the chance to try the RS-GP26, Noale’s new “weapon” for the coming season. This came after an initial day of comparative testing with the RS-GP25, before switching to the new bike and focusing solely on that. There was no shortage of curious details like the hedgehog tail unit, part of the extensive aerodynamic testing carried out by all manufacturers. On the final day, race simulations were run to assess the current (provisional) race pace of the MotoGP grid: on average, Bezzecchi set the 5th-best time in 1:58.9, ranging between 1:58.4 and 1:59.2 over the 10 logged laps. Notably, his race simulation was done on used tires. Finally, the Aprilia standard-bearer ended his tests with a best lap of 1:56.526, the fastest of the sixth and final test session, the second-best overall, behind only Alex Marquez (just a tenth off Bagnaia’s absolute record), who was 124 thousandths quicker.

Clearly we don’t have absolute certainties yet—those will come when it counts, namely during the first weekend of the 2026 MotoGP season. Before that, there will be the final tests, the moment to make the last decisions regarding the bikes. It’s now just a matter of details, but necessary ones to find the right balance and be competitive from the outset. “I had fun, we tried many things, I’m happy with the work done in the box and in Noale,” Bezzecchi told motogp.com at the end of the third day of testing. Does he have a machine to fight for the title? The Aprilia rider is clearly aiming for that, but he doesn’t want to say anything about his true feeling with the new bike—almost keeping it “secret” until the first GP. “We’re all working hard to be consistent and competitive,” he concluded. At the end of February they head to Thailand for the final tests before the opening round. There’s little doubt that the Bezzecchi–Aprilia pairing is certainly one to watch.