Aprilia versus Ducati: Fierce Italian battle for the MotoGP Constructors’ Championship

The MotoGP World Championship has developed into a thrilling three-way battle. Jorge Martin leads the standings following an impressive performance in Austria. Twelve points behind him is world champion Marquez, whilst Marco Bezzecchi, in third place, remains within striking distance with 14 races remaining. Fourth place is once again held by a Ducati GP26 rider, Fabio Di Giannantonio.

The competition between the manufacturers – specifically between Aprilia and Ducati – is even tighter. Ahead of the second overseas leg, which begins with the Japanese Grand Prix, the two Italian teams are separated by just 10 points, with Aprilia in the lead.

Ducati trailing from Race 1

The script for this story is in keeping with this extraordinary season. It was a cracker right from the opening round. With winners Acosta (Sprint) and Bezzecchi (GP), KTM and Aprilia left the standings as joint leaders. Ducati thus found itself trailing for the first time – and had been since the 2020 season. Six consecutive Constructors’ World Championship titles had elevated the team led by mastermind Gigi Dall’Igna to a special status – a status that was now beginning to unravel.

From the second round in Brazil onwards, Aprilia took the lead – for the first time since the project began in Noale. With Bezzecchi in top form, they managed to extend their lead. Further support soon followed. For the first time ever, all four Aprilia RS-GP riders scored World Championship points. Trackhouse Racing, with Ogura and Fernandez, has developed into a valuable customer team.

Wertvoll für Aprilia: Trackhouse-Duo mit Ai Ogura und Raul Fernandez (li.)

Foto: Gold and Goose

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At Ducati, on the other hand, almost everything hinges on champion Marquez. When he broke his foot at Le Mans, the gap widened in the Manufacturers’ Championship too. The other five Ducati riders, if at all, only provide sporadic support, such as Di Giannantonio did at the chaotic GP in Barcelona.

Fabio Di Giannantonio: Sieger des Catalunya-Sieger

Foto: Gold and Goose

But when ‘MM93’ made a stunning comeback with a double victory in Hungary, the tide began to turn. With Bezzecchi out of the running following his spectacular crashes at Assen and the Sachsenring, the comeback gained further momentum. After the German Grand Prix and another Marquez one-two, Ducati Corse had already closed the gap to just 11 points.

Ducati: Everything hinges on Marc Marquez

After races at Silverstone and Aragon where the teams were neck and neck, the Aprilia disaster struck, of all places, at their second home race. With the Marquez brothers at the top, Bezzecchi in the gravel, Ai Ogura absent and Jorge Martin plagued by cramps, Bologna was once again celebrating. And in no small measure: Marc Marquez had taken the lead in the riders’ championship, overcoming a record deficit of 102 points – and brought Ducati back to the top of the manufacturers’ standings.

Aprilia-Held Marco Bezzecchi versus Weltmeister Marc Marquez (Ducati)

Foto: Gold and Goose

Yet just one week later, the unique nature of the 2026 campaign became apparent. For at the Red Bull Ring – a venue where Ducati’s aces had been winning for years – the Desmo riders were now merely the third-strongest force. Behind KTM hero Acosta, Jorge Martin, Marco Bezzecchi and Ai Ogura scored enough points to see Martin and Aprilia leap back to the top of the standings. It was almost unbelievable: even returnee Ogura finished ahead of Marc Marquez – who had been in such fine form recently – at Spielberg.

Italian showdown as the 1000cc era draws to a close

With seven events remaining – though there’s a strong chance this could be reduced to six should the Qatar GP be cancelled – the final stretch of the 1000cc era is about far more than simply crowning the best rider. The technical teams in Bologna and Noale are currently doing everything in their power to secure the decisive advantage through permitted chassis, aero and detail updates. Ducati Corse and Aprilia Racing – both works teams are desperate to go down in racing history as the last title-holders of the most competitive era in MotoGP.

Behind the fierce head-to-head battle between the Italian manufacturers, things are calmer. KTM has established itself as the third force, whilst Honda and Yamaha seem to have come to terms with finishing in fourth and fifth place in the final stages of the 1000cc era.