Aprilia director thinks he knows the ‘secret’ to beating Marc Marquez and Ducati in 2026

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Aprilia are entering the 2026 MotoGP season with huge confidence. They believe they can seriously challenge Ducati’s hegemony.

Last year, Marco Bezzecchi finished 192 points behind Marc Marquez even though the world champion missed the last four rounds. A year earlier, Brad Binder, the top-scoring rider outside Ducati, was 291 points adrift of Jorge Martin.

In 2023, Binder was 174 points adrift. In fact, the last non-Ducati rider to even crack the top two was 2022 runner-up Fabio Quartararo.

But Bezzecchi won the last two Grands Prix of the year and took four of the last seven pole positions. Even before Marquez’s injury, he was starting to put Ducati under serious pressure.

Aprilia must develop an all-round bike to beat Marc Marquez, says Fabio Sterlacchini

Bezzecchi recognises that Marquez is the class of the field but refuses to believe he’s ‘invincible’. And Aprilia technical director Fabio Sterlacchini agrees.

Sterlacchini says that even an ‘alien’ like the #93 needs a ‘well-designed’ motorcycle to win consistently. Franco Morbidelli recently stressed that there’s a limit to Marquez’s abilities.

For Aprilia, the ‘goal’ is not to make any sacrifices and develop an all-round bike without an outstanding ‘weakness’. Sterlacchini and his engineers are arguably setting the standard when it comes to aerodynamics.

They may still be lagging behind Ducati when it comes to top speed and electronics, though. Engineering is about compromises, but Sterlacchini would rather be good across the board than great in select areas.

“Marc doesn’t win just because he’s Marc, because there have been times when, despite being Marc, he hasn’t won,” he told Speedweek. “This shows that Marc is an incredible rider, but he also needs a well-designed, balanced motorcycle that always works.

“In my opinion, the secret to our work is not saying ‘I have to do this or that,’ you don’t always have to do a little bit of everything. You have to develop the engine, you have to develop the electronics, you have to develop the aerodynamics, and the rider also has to grow and improve.

“You must never say that you will neglect one aspect, because then it automatically becomes a weakness. You have to try to improve in all areas, and that’s exactly what we’ve done, which has led to our good results.”

Aprilia have already secured major victory over Ducati ahead of 2026

Jorge Lorenzo says Marquez would be rapid on the Aprilia, but there’s no indication that they’re in the running for his signature.

They still have a formidable line-up with Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin and, with Francesco Bagnaia losing his way, Aprilia can target the constructors’ title at the very least. After an injury-ravaged 2025, Martin has a precious opportunity to adapt to the bike in testing.

Crucially, Aprilia’s leg wings will not be banned for 2026 after the proposal failed to pass. The safety-related rule change could have thrown them off course just weeks before testing.

It’s not clear if Ducati were pushing for the ban, but this represents a key off-track victory for Aprilia nonetheless.