MotoGP teams have rejected a 2026 rule change that would have been music to Marc Marquez’s ears

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Marc Marquez may be wary of the threat of Aprilia in 2026. In the second half of last season, they emerged as a credible threat to Ducati’s dominance.

It should be noted that three of Marco Bezzecchi’s six victories came in the final four rounds, when Ducati were significantly weakened by the absence of the injured Marc Marquez.

However, Bezzecchi was already becoming a problem for Marquez in the races after the summer break. He bagged pole position in Austria, San Marino and Malaysia.

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Marquez’s high-profile fall during the Misano Sprint may partly have stemmed from the pressure Bezzecchi was applying. Aprilia should be further strengthened by Jorge Martin’s return to fitness next year, enhancing their dark-horse status.

Aprilia’s leg wings will not be banned during the 2026 season

In recent weeks, there have been rumblings of a major setback for Aprilia. MotoGP teams were expected to ban leg wings, an innovation pioneered by Massimo Rivola’s team and subsequently adopted by Honda.

It was said that the rule change could have turned MotoGP ‘upside down’ for 2026, destabilising two manufacturers on the eve of the new season. They would have been forced to overhaul their aerodynamic concept.

This would have been music to Marc Marquez’s ears, significantly weakening Ducati’s closest rival. However, Mat Oxley of Motor Sport Magazine is now reporting that the proposed ban has been ‘shelved’ until 2027 at the earliest.

Because it was framed as a safety issue, the move did not require unanimous approval. However, it has still failed to pass.

Oxley says that one manufacturer – it may be Ducati, KTM or Yamaha – has been left ‘very p—– off’ by the development.

Concerning chatter about Ducati’s 2027 MotoGP bike

Marquez says no team can ‘guarantee’ they will have the best bike for 2027, not even Ducati.

Worryingly, there are already rumours that Ducati partners Shell are lagging behind as the sport switches to sustainable fuels.

Still, Ducati have arguably the greatest engineering mind in MotoGP in the form of Luigi Dall’Igna, which should give them confidence for the rule reset.

Ride-height devices are on the way out and KTM want mass dampers banned too, but it may not be long before Dall’Igna debuts his next revolutionary idea.