Will Aprilia fly in Brazil too? Jorge Martin dreams of his first podium but cautions the team

After the show of strength in Thailand, Aprilia aims to confirm itself in Brazil as well: Bezzecchi and Martin are fired up for the weekend.

Aprilia is ready for the second Grand Prix of the 2026 MotoGP calendar, this time on a track yet to be discovered: the Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia – Ayrton Senna. A circuit that is a real unknown for riders and teams, but also a big opportunity for those who can adapt more quickly. It will be crucial to work effectively right from Friday’s first free practice session. Watch the weather: forecasts show that rain could be a factor to consider.

In Thailand the RS-GP26 was the best bike on the grid; it will be interesting to see if it also confirms itself at the top in Brazil. Marco Bezzecchi was the strongest rider at Buriram, where he took pole position and won the long race, making up for the bitter crash in the sprint. His ambition is certainly to repeat that level. Jorge Martin was also competitive in the first round of the 2026 World Championship, so he’s aiming to improve over the Brazilian weekend.

Martin is motivated and optimistic for the Brazilian Grand Prix, but he also warns the Noale team about the approach to take: "I’m really eager to get started on this new track and I’m confident that the work done in Thailand will give us a good base to work from in Brazil as well. We’ll need to be very careful in providing the right feedback, because a new track is always challenging and there are many things to fine-tune. However, I think that together with the team and with Marco we can be competitive."

Buriram might not have been an Aprilia-friendly track, yet the RS-GP26 became the reference bike of the weekend. Technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini and his staff may have managed to create a prototype capable of being highly competitive at every circuit. Already in 2025 there was a big step forward compared to the previous year; in 2026 there may have been another. The riders are ready to reap the benefits. Expectations are especially high for Bezzecchi, but one should never forget a two-time world champion like Martin.

Back to full fitness after the various injuries of last season, the Spaniard is extremely eager to prove he can be a winner with Aprilia as well. He did extraordinary things with Pramac’s Ducati, winning a historic title (the first for a satellite team in the MotoGP era) and finishing runner-up twice behind Pecco Bagnaia. He wouldn’t mind making history again by being crowned world champion with the Noale manufacturer, which has never won a premier-class title. But before thinking that big, Martinator needs to get on the podium, something he has yet to do in Aprilia colors. We’ll see if Brazil gives him the chance to make it happen.