Ducati Finds Gains at Jerez, Targets Aprilia Advantage 2026

MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Ducati Lenovo Team introduced technical updates at the 2026 Spanish MotoGP in Jerez as it responds to the early-season advantage established by Aprilia Racing.

The Italian manufacturer has deployed electronic refinements to the Desmosedici following detailed analysis of data from the opening three rounds. Further upgrades are scheduled for evaluation during Monday’s official post-race test, forming part of Ducati’s strategy to reduce the performance gap to Aprilia, which currently leads the championship.

Ducati’s four-year period of dominance is now under pressure after Aprilia secured victories in the first three grands prix through Marco Bezzecchi, along with a Sprint win by Jorge Martin. This run has positioned Aprilia as the benchmark package, particularly in braking stability and corner entry—key performance phases at technical circuits such as Jerez.

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“This month, Gigi Dall’Igna and the engineers worked a lot,” said Davide Tardozzi in an interview with MotoGP.

“They analysed all the data from the first three races and on the electronic side we found something. But for sure, we will have more items to test on Monday.”

Tardozzi acknowledged that Ducati has not matched Aprilia’s rate of development in the early phase of the season, particularly in areas related to bike control under braking and transition into corners.

“Aprilia showed that they made a huge step forward, and honestly, we didn’t,” he admitted.

“This is a track that should suit Ducati and our riding style, so we believe we can be competitive. But at the moment, Aprilia is the fastest bike, with very strong riders.”

He emphasized that Ducati’s current approach is grounded in realism, with a focus on continuous development rather than reliance on past dominance.

“We need to stay grounded and keep working, because the domination of recent years is no longer there, and we have to face this situation,” Tardozzi added.

From a technical standpoint, Ducati has identified its primary deficit relative to Aprilia in the final phase of braking and corner entry—critical sections that directly influence lap time performance.

“What we are missing most compared to Aprilia right now is the last part of braking and the entry into the corner,” he explained.

In Free Practice 1, Ducati occupied the top three positions with Fabio Di Giannantonio, Franco Morbidelli, and Alex Marquez. However, those times were set on fresh tyres, while rivals such as Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez posted competitive laps on used rubber.

With initial updates already deployed and further development planned, Jerez represents a critical evaluation point for Ducati’s technical direction. The effectiveness of these upgrades will be a key indicator of whether the team can close the gap to Aprilia as the 2026 MotoGP season progresses.