Aprilia is the big winner of the first MotoGP races in 2026 and Ducati is suddenly under pressure – riders and team management explain where the problems lie
After the first two race weekends of the 2026 MotoGP season, the impression has been confirmed: Ducati is no longer the measure of all things. Instead, Aprilia has taken the lead in the world championship, and emphatically so.
At the Brazilian Grand Prix a week ago, the manufacturer celebrated a dominant one-two victory with Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin. Ducati only managed third place.
Within the brand, Marc Marquez was narrowly beaten by Fabio Di Giannantonio. The world champion takes a differentiated view of the situation. The Spaniard emphasizes that success in MotoGP is always the interplay of several factors.
“I always consider the whole package: Rider and bike,” he explains. “So it’s not just the rider and not just the bike”. The combination is crucial, and that’s where he currently sees Aprilia as having the advantage. “At the moment, they are simply performing at a very high level,” Marquez acknowledges without envy.
Di Giannantonio explains where is missing the most
Di Giannantonio describes exactly where Ducati is currently losing out. Weaknesses are particularly evident in difficult conditions: When it gets hot and the grip decreases, the Aprilia riders are able to continue riding aggressively,.
They could “brake into the corners with a lot of speed and push via the front wheel”, while Ducati had significantly more problems here. “Our front wheel is much less stable and precise,” said the Italian – with direct effects on corner exit.
Because Aprilia already has advantages when turning in, the brand’s riders are also better positioned when accelerating out and can maximize the exit.
Ducati, on the other hand, still needs to improve in this area in particular. Although the brand basically has a “very good package for corner exit”, this potential is not sufficiently exploited in difficult grip conditions.
“I can go easy on the tires and make up a lot of time and places towards the end of the race, but that’s not enough to keep up with them when the grip is low. I think we should improve in order to have a stronger bike, especially at the front,” said Di Giannantonio, explaining Ducati’s task.
Team manager Davide Tardozzi echoes the same sentiment, choosing unusually frank words. First of all, however, he pays tribute to the competition: Aprilia has “worked very well since last year” and has made a big step forward, especially since the second half of the 2025 season.
Tardozzi: “Don’t rely on Marquez alone”
At the same time, he made it clear that Ducati is well aware of its own weaknesses. Technical Director Gigi Dall’Igna has been working since the winter to rectify the problems. But catching up is not easy, precisely because Aprilia is doing such a good job.
This is of course reflected in the results: After 88 podium finishes in a row, Ducati failed to achieve a top three result for the first time at the season opener in Thailand, and in Brazil it was only enough for third and fourth place – well behind the dominant Aprilia riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin.
Tardozzi is hoping for a turnaround at the upcoming races in Austin and Jerez, however. Aprilia will still be strong there, “but we can be closer,” he said, expressing cautious optimism. The decisive factor is that Ducati gets to the bottom of the already known problems and finds solutions.
Another factor is Marquez’s physical condition. The Spaniard is still not at 100 percent since injuring his shoulder in Indonesia last year.
However, Tardozzi does not want this to be an excuse. Marquez is a champion who does not complain, but works hard to achieve the maximum. At the same time, the Ducati team manager warns: “We can’t expect Marquez’s talent to always save us from difficulties.”
Tardozzi is convinced that they will succeed together. “They were two very difficult races, but we learned a lot from them,” he sums up. Ducati is no longer alone at the top, the rivals have become stronger. Now they have to show “that we are able to catch up again”.
