Aprilia have stepped up as a genuine title contender in MotoGP this season, and Sylvain Guintoli believes Ducati are already working on a response to the Italian constructor’s impressive aerodynamic package.
Ducati started the 2026 season slower than expected by their usual standards. Marc Marquez, who is defending his title, didn’t feature near the front in Buriram.
Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi won the race while riding for Aprilia, ending Ducati’s run of 88 consecutive races with at least one bike on the podium.
In contrast, Aprilia had all four of their bikes finish inside the top five in Buriram—a clear sign they’ve made significant progress over the offseason.
It’s too soon to say whether Aprilia have overtaken Ducati as the grid’s best bike, but reports suggest that Borgo Panigale could be preparing an aerodynamic update to regain their edge. The story was first picked up by Sylvain Guintoli, who told MotoGP:
“There are also some rumours that Ducati is planning on bringing some new aero quite soon.”
Sylvain Guintoli believes Ducati was trialling an aero upgrade during the Jerez MotoGP test
Discussing the recent MotoGP test at Jerez, Sylvain Guintoli pointed out that photos of Michele Pirro on the Ducati prototype suggested he was evaluating a new upgrade rather than riding the 2027 model.
Speaking on the Gas It Out podcast, Guintoli explained: “They are still developing the 2026 bike. Even though manufacturers are concentrating on 2027 and the new 850s and the new set of rules, they’re still working on this year’s bike.
“The Michele Pirro images that we saw there, he was on Michelin tyres, and it did look like the ride-height device was activated at the exit of the last turn.
He went on to note changes in what appeared to be a different aerodynamic package. “As well, it looked like they had a different aero package. So this looks like more that they were testing for an upgrade. So Ducati, obviously, no concessions, but they are allowed one aero upgrade during the year.
The session included both Michelin and Pirelli tyres being tested. “It was like a mixed test where they had Michelin, but Pirelli was also there, so they would have definitely started testing with Pirelli,” Guintoli said.
Guintoli added that these tyres will differ from those currently used in World Superbikes or commercially available slicks: “That said, they’re going to use some specific tyres for MotoGP. So we’re thinking slightly different tyres than what they use currently in World Superbikes and the slicks that they sell commercially as well.”
Aprilia widely seen as having the strongest aero package on the 2026 MotoGP grid
Aprilia made their ambitions for 2026 clear during the launch of the new RS-GP26 earlier this year.
Bezzecchi pointed out the “super aggressive” fairing design on the 2026-spec prototype, which many believed was their answer to Ducati’s continued strength in engine performance.
During pre-season testing, it was revealed that Aprilia had equipped the RS-GP26 with an F1-inspired f-duct, a feature previously banned in Formula One due to safety concerns.
The Italian manufacturer appears to have addressed those issues effectively, and this innovation played a key role in Bezzecchi’s win at Buriram International Circuit at the start of March.
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