Game over? Aprilia’s 2027 MotoGP bike just put rivals on notice

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Aprilia are beginning to look like the team to catch heading into MotoGP’s 2027 season, having already established themselves as the clear frontrunners in the 2026 campaign.

Over the past year, Aprilia have steadily closed the gap on Ducati, who have long been one of the benchmarks in MotoGP. Their strong finish to 2025 has carried over into 2026, where they’ve taken all but one win so far. Meanwhile, factory Ducati have yet to step onto the podium this year.

Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin currently lead a tight title race between them. Both riders are level on points early on, while Aprilia’s pace and standout aerodynamic design changes have put them firmly ahead of the rest of the grid.

While Aprilia remain focused on this year’s championship, they’re also hard at work developing their new bike for next season’s switch to 850cc engines. From early reports and paddock talk, it looks like they’re ahead there too.

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Aprilia’s 2027 prototype already shows signs of being ahead of Honda and Ducati

Teams have started testing their 2027 bikes, and Aprilia’s thin exhaust design has caught the eye. It’s not just the exhaust either—Aprilia have also experimented with a bold front aero setup that might fit within the new rules.

Moto.It reports that Aprilia appear to be further along than most, describing their bike as a ‘finished’ product rather than just an early concept. It suggests they’re taking bigger steps compared to what other teams have shown so far.

“Aprilia is the one that has shown the most and seems to have the most defined prototype,” Bernardelle said.