Michele Pirro refuses to say Ducati are ‘doomed’ as Aprilia close the gap in 2026

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Aprilia might have leapfrogged Ducati for top spot in MotoGP, but the Borgo Panigale outfit are not willing to accept defeat.

Ducati’s Italian rivals made huge strides forward at the end of 2025, and they have started 2026 in commanding fashion. Marco Bezzecchi claimed victory in Thailand, with all four Aprilia riders finishing in the top five.

Meanwhile, Ducati finished 16 seconds off Bezzecchi with their best-placed rider, Fabio Di Giannantonio. It has led to concerns from within Ducati that they no longer have the upper hand over the field.

Are people overacting to Ducati’s lack of performance at one round?

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Francesco Bagnaia believes Aprilia are now faster than Ducati as the Borgo Panigale outfit struggled to keep up with their Noale rivals. Marc Marquez was in contention for a podium in Buriram, but a rear rim failure took him out of the race.

Pol Espargaro fears Ducati have hit their ceiling as they have struggled to make progress beyond the GP24 machine. But test rider Michele Pirro is adamant that the team are still in the fight.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Ducati from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy

Michele Pirro says Ducati do not like to say they are ‘finished’ or ‘doomed’ in 2026

Ducati are readying an aero upgrade to take the fight to Aprilia at the next round in Brazil. It is this reason why Pirro believes that the Bologna Bullets are still in contention and are not accepting defeat.

He told AS after the Jerez test: “The characteristics of the Grand Prix were better suited to the Aprilia, but as always, the World Championship starts in Europe.

A changing of the guard or just a blip to start the season? 🤔

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“We don’t like the idea that Ducati is finished or doomed; we don’t like that interpretation. In the sprint, Márquez was ahead until the collision, and he also fought for the podium in the feature race. I don’t see it as a disaster.”

“Aprilia and Ducati are very evenly matched at the moment and that deserves recognition. I remain confident, we must stay calm and not let our guard down.

“The riders know perfectly well that this will be a year in which we will have to give 100%. In the Jerez tests we focused on the 850cc project. It’s not that we aren’t committed, we’ve made some decisions while the others have progressed.”