German GP: Can Aprilia respond? Marc Marquez’s verdict

Marc Marquez comments on the MotoGP Sprint win at the Sachsenring and gives his prediction for Sunday’s race.

Can Aprilia turn things around for Sunday at the German Grand Prix? Certainly that’s the hope in the Veneto brand’s garage, also to limit the damage after Bezzecchi’s injury KO, but what we saw in the MotoGP Sprint at the Sachsenring seems to point in the direction of just one manufacturer. Today the Ducatis of the Marquez brothers along with Di Giannantonio shone, while the Aprilias—in order, Ogura, Fernandez, and Martin—followed a few seconds behind. Tomorrow the race will be longer; who knows if there will be shake-ups to liven things up. Let’s admit it, today’s mini-race didn’t deliver much spectacle—in fact, it was rather boring...

"I hope I have something for tomorrow." After pole position and after reaffirming his supremacy at the Sachsenring with today’s triumph, Ducati’s #93 doesn’t want to go too far with GP predictions. "Alex and Diggia were very close, they had a good pace," he continued on Sky Sport MotoGP at the end of the Sprint. "We still have 2–3 things to sort out. Happy? It’s Saturday; Sunday is the important day." He especially points to what his brother Alex did in turns 6–7. "They told me he was closing in there! We need to understand it," he said with a smile.

There’s also a question about Aprilia, true protagonists of this first half of the 2026 MotoGP season. Anonymous today, but could they be in the mix tomorrow... Or not? "No," is Marc Marquez’s blunt answer. "I said it from the start of the year: we have the most competitive bike for 22 races. Aprilia also has a very competitive bike, but I’m convinced we have the best. I think tomorrow the win will be between Alex, Diggia, and me." He also highlights that "It was Bezzecchi who was going really strong... We’re sending him a message for a good recovery over this summer break."

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