The "Ducati Cup" is over: Aprilia is out for revenge

Uphill start for Ducati in the 2026 MotoGP championship. Buriram proves to be tough ground for the Desmosedici, off the Sunday race podium. Aprilia and KTM have taken a step forward during the winter break and could challenge the Desmosedici’s monopoly.

The curtain falls on the first Grand Prix and this season looks set to deliver emotions and twists. All the manufacturers are ready to fight for the top spots, with the exception of Yamaha, whose V4 engine is in deep crisis, with the riders going silent with the media after the weekend in Thailand. For now, Quartararo, Toprak, and their garage mates are out of the game. Raising its voice is the Noale-based manufacturer which, after a winter of expectations, has confirmed technical progress in the evolution of the RS-GP, especially from an aerodynamic standpoint.

Marco Bezzecchi picks up where he left off in the 2025 MotoGP World Championship, with another victory—the third in a row after Portugal and Spain. Aprilia secured 1st with Bezzecchi, 3rd with Fernandez, 4th with Martín, and 5th with Ogura. On the eve of the Thai GP, no one at Aprilia would have hoped for such a result.

By contrast, Ducati takes its first hit and ends the historic streak of 88 consecutive GPs (since 2021) with at least one bike on the podium. In Buriram, the best-placed rider was Di Giannantonio... in sixth place! Eighth for Franco Morbidelli, ninth for Pecco Bagnaia, last for test rider Michele Pirro, and the Marquez brothers out, with Marc still not at his physical best.

MotoGP vice-champion Alex Marquez crashed five laps from the finish while chasing Diggia. He leaves Buriram with zero points in the standings. "Sporting cycles end, and ours concluded with I don’t know how many podiums since 2021. But as I said, we need to keep calm and not jump to hasty conclusions," explained the Gresini rider. "There are 21 races to go and we must keep working without giving up. Sometimes a setback like this is also useful to get back on our feet and rebuild. Ducati won’t give up; they’ll keep working. The best thing now is to have a bit of patience, a bit of stability, and instead of trying so many things, stay true to what we have."

After three years of victories and dominance, the “Ducati Cup” may have come to an end. Before the wheel issue, Marc Marquez was lapping almost half a second faster than his brand mates. Not having the best bike is nothing new for the nine-time world champion, who is used to winning even in tough, extreme conditions. For this reason, Borgo Panigale wants to keep betting on him for the future as well. But one thing is clear after Thailand: Aprilia has made a big leap forward and will be a thorn in the side from now until the end of the Championship.