First official outing for the new 850: Aprilia also ushers in the 2027 MotoGP era

Aprilia took the new 850 engine to the track for the first time, a (wet) debut at Jerez with Lorenzo Savadori.

The glimpse into the future is now truly complete. As anticipated by all parties during the Spanish Grand Prix and then on the Monday test day (dominated by the Veneto brand), Aprilia has officially put its 850 on track with Lorenzo Savadori, an tireless and invaluable test rider working both on the current project and for the revolutionary 2027 MotoGP World Championship. Jerez hosted the first outing of the new powerplant from the Noale factory: the weather wasn’t ideal, but at least the big new feature officially “shook off the rust,” now in step with all the other manufacturers who had already completed their first runs.

In a sense, 2027 is already tomorrow, and Aprilia doesn’t want to be left behind. Even less so after cracking the code at the close of the 1000 era, as proven by the fact that all Noale’s riders—from points leader Bezzecchi to Martin to the solid Trackhouse duo—have been standout protagonists in a memorable start to the season and are clearly determined to continue on the same path. Aprilia has done a tremendous job to reach the top of MotoGP and is fully intent on being major contenders in the new era of the premier class, which kicks off next year with the arrival of the 850s and the retirement of the current MotoGP machines.

Nailing the project is crucial—it’s a roll of the dice for everyone—and clearly it’s not easy to develop two parallel programs: one to perform this year and another to hit the ground running in 2027, which is what the premier class is forced to do right now. It will be a gamble for all manufacturers as well as for the riders, who must sign on the dotted line blind for next season: a situation that already sparks curiosity and fuels “bets” on who will have made the right choice, in every sense.