Topic of the week: Aprilia comeback? The truth is: Aprilia never went away!

Since their one-two finish, led by Marco Bezzecchi, at their home race in Mugello, things had gone rather wrong for the Noale-based team. This was particularly true of Bezzecchi, who had already topped the World Championship standings by the second round in Brazil but had slipped down to fourth place after four consecutive zero-point finishes. Worse still: Marc Marquez had got back on track – in the best possible sense – and was already ahead of his rival from Rimini again by the start of the summer break.

When Marc Marquez crossed the line as the winner twice in Saxony, it seemed to many that the World Championship was already in the bag for the reigning champion – a view reinforced by the fact that not a single Aprilia rider was invited to the podium at the Sachsenring Sprint. Yet, amidst the celebrations over Marquez’s definitive comeback, it was also overlooked that the three remaining Aprilia riders (Bezzecchi was already on his way to the operating theatre) finished in 4th, 5th and 6th places. What’s more, over the long distance in Germany, they once again secured second (Ogura) and third (Fernandez) places.

The unassuming Martin was the big winner of the Silverstone GP

Although the Constructors’ Championship lead, which had grown to 40 points by the time of the Italian Grand Prix, had shrunk to a manageable 11 points ahead of the Silverstone Grand Prix, it would be wrong to suggest that Aprilia had faltered. Even if the riders, led by Jorge Martin, presented a different view to the public. Martin announced ahead of FP1 in England that he considered himself the least well-placed among the top five (alongside Marc Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio). The result: two second-place finishes – no one scored more points on the island than the supposedly wavering championship leader. Jorge Martin left Silverstone as the clear winner, as once again no other rider managed to combine consistency and pace more effectively.

Starkes Duo: Marco Bezzecchi mit Teamkollege Jorge Martin

Foto: Aprilia Racing

His performance was surpassed only by that of his own team-mate. The fact that Marco Bezzecchi finished on the podium twice – and left all the other Ducati riders behind in both races – sent out two clear messages. Firstly: Marco Bezzecchi is every bit the equal of Marc Márquez when it comes to the unyielding determination to give his all for the sport and for first place. And secondly – with an eye on the titles up for grabs – the even stronger message is: Together, we are strong! All four Aprilia riders stood on the podium at least once at the first event of the second half of the season.

Topic of the week

Topic of the week: Aprilia comeback? The truth is: Aprilia never went away!

Four weeks ago, Aprilia headed into the summer break from Germany with a badly injured Marco Bezzecchi. The response came from the heart of British motor racing: ‘Together we are strong!’

Thomas Kuttruf

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MotoGP World Championship

28.08.2026 - 08:55

The RS-GP riders are all on the same wavelength

There are no significant differences in performance between Martin, Bezzecchi, Ogura and Fernandez. And even if they don’t quite make it to the top on occasion, as in Saxony, they remain a united second force. Complete breakdowns on the track – not counting crashes – are non-existent.

Atemübung: Rückschlag auf der Insel für Weltmeister Marc Marquez

Foto: Gold and Goose

The RS-GP riders operate with a consistency that Bologna can only dream of. The Desmosedici riders are fast too, but the question is: who? Most recently, it was once again Alex Márquez who formed the best partnership with the GP26 over the entire weekend. Fabio Di Giannantonio, who was third in the World Championship before the Sachsenring and the most promising Desmo rider, was never in contention for a podium place in England, yet still finished ahead of Marc Marquez in both races.

Close World Championship battle among riders and Italian manufacturers

The result of this mixed performance: Marco Bezzecchi, still recovering from injury, overtook Marc Marquez once again in the World Championship standings on his fully fit Aprilia. This means that the top three positions in the Riders’ Championship are once again occupied by Aprilia riders. However, to speak of a Ducati crisis would be just as wrong as talking of an Aprilia comeback, as Aprilia was never far from the top.

The latest clash on British soil has brought home to all observers the entirely new dimension of the 2026 MotoGP battle. For, just as much as in previous years – and yet differently – the question at stake is that of the best rider on the best motorbike. The riders of these sophisticated prototypes are battling for victories just as fiercely as the Italian manufacturers. The MotoGP organisers are rubbing their hands with glee – it has never been more exciting.