VR46 under pressure: Aprilia stuns Ducati, Jerez is the acid test

After a very lackluster 2025 MotoGP season, Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team is seeking redemption. The 2026 championship seems to have started under a good star for Fabio Di Giannantonio, who is chasing a contract renewal. However, the Tavullia squad needs victories to stay at the top of the premier class and plan a glorious future.

While waiting for the World Championship to land in Jerez for the first European round, ‘Diggia’ is the best Ducati rider with fourth place in the overall standings. Sixth, third, and fourth respectively in the Grands Prix of Thailand, Brazil, and Texas, for a total haul of 50 points. Positive feelings after the first three races, with Fabio so far establishing himself as a key figure in Ducati’s MotoGP project. "He feels very comfortable with the bike, with the team, with everyone, and that’s leading to excellent results," explained team manager Pablo Nieto.

The situation is different for Franco Morbidelli, still searching for results and consistency. For the Italo-Brazilian, a farewell to MotoGP seems to be approaching, barring a last-minute twist. "I’d like to know exactly what he needs, because then we could help him better," admitted the Spanish manager of the VR46 team.

In the early stages of this championship, Aprilia’s leap forward has somewhat caught the Borgo Panigale camp off guard. Three wins out of three signed by Marco Bezzecchi, with Jorge Martin on a strong rise after a long period of injuries. The engineers from Noale have gone all-in on aerodynamics, in the last season where this technical area enjoys maximum development.

From 2027 the new regulations call for a sharp cut to aerodynamic solutions, particularly to holeshot systems. But Aprilia had the courage to keep betting on the aero pack to try to break Ducati’s monopoly. "Not that they’re clearly superior, but at the moment they are the benchmark," Pablo Nieto emphasized to ‘AS’.

The Jerez circuit is very technical and will help clarify the real balance of this MotoGP World Championship. In addition, the home advantage could prove decisive: "For Spanish riders, there’s always an extra edge when racing at home; they want to do particularly well." A call to “arms” for Marc Marquez and his brother Alex, who have been in the shadows so far, after last year’s historic one-two. "Marc is Marc. I still consider him the favorite... Even if he doesn’t have the number one on the fairing, he’s the world champion, the one who made the difference last year."

These are crucial weeks for the MotoGP rider market as well, as we wait for the factory teams to make their new signings official. VR46 should confirm Di Giannantonio and secure the talent of Fermin Aldeguer, to the evident displeasure of the Gresini team... "A rider like him interests any team; he has a very promising future," Nieto confessed, hinting that there is already a formal agreement. But in the Rossi camp, a return to winning ways is urgently needed. The last triumph in a Sunday race dates back to the 2023 Indian GP.