MotoGP, Sportrik Media - Marc Marquez of Ducati has stated that Aprilia’s dominant start to the 2026 MotoGP season comes as no surprise, citing clear indicators from late 2025 and pre-season testing.
The competitive landscape shifted immediately in the opening three rounds, ending Ducati’s multi-year control at the front. Marco Bezzecchi has emerged as the benchmark by winning all three grands prix, while team-mate Jorge Martin reinforced Aprilia’s position with a Sprint victory and two grand prix podiums, placing him second in the championship standings.
Behind them, Pedro Acosta sits third after securing his first Sprint win with KTM. Meanwhile, Fabio Di Giannantonio is the leading Ducati rider in fourth with VR46 Racing Team. Marquez himself is currently fifth overall, still chasing his first grand prix podium of the season, with his only victory coming in the Goiania Sprint.
Although Aprilia also demonstrated strong form in the closing stages of last season, some observers attributed that performance to Marquez’s injury absence. However, the Spanish rider rejected that view, insisting the pace was already genuine and consistently confirmed through testing.
“For me, it was not any surprise,” Marquez told MotoGP.com.
“Already in the last part of last season and during pre-season, we understood that Marco was very fast, and that Aprilia was fast and improving.”
A similar perspective was shared by Honda rider Luca Marini, who noted that early-season results closely reflect trends seen in winter testing. He highlighted that all manufacturers have made gains, with Aprilia showing the most significant step forward.
“More or less everything went the same as the pre-season tests,” said Marini.
“We saw all the manufacturers improve a lot, especially Aprilia. We are focused on our plan and trying to understand our potential for the rest of the season.”
Not all riders shared that assessment. Honda rookie Diogo Moreira described Bezzecchi and Martin as the biggest surprises, while also acknowledging Aprilia’s current status as the most competitive package on the grid.
“I would say Bezzecchi. At the end of last year he was already there, but this year he is super strong. And also Martin,” Moreira explained.
“I would say Aprilia in general did a very good job this winter, so they are super strong now. For me, the best combination now is the factory Aprilia.”
Martin himself admitted that his early-season form exceeded expectations, particularly after missing part of pre-season testing due to recovery from winter surgery. He secured podium finishes in the opening rounds and repeated that result at COTA.
“To be on the podium after two rounds was already quite surprising,” Martin stated.
Meanwhile, Franco Morbidelli of VR46 offered a broader view on the unpredictable nature of MotoGP competition.
“MotoGP is full of surprises, and it’s really difficult to point to just one. That’s the beauty of it,” he said.
With Aprilia establishing early momentum in the championship, pressure now shifts to Ducati, Honda, and KTM to respond both technically and strategically. This evolving balance of performance is set to play a decisive role as the season progresses into the European phase, traditionally a critical period in shaping the title fight.
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