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Mugello MotoGP Sunday Subscriber Notes: The Changing Of The MotoGP Guard

By David Emmett |

Is the Aprilia now a better bike than the Ducati? "I cannot answer if it's better or worse, because what I feel is like I'm not squeezing all the juice out of the Ducati," Marc Márquez said, after groping for a phrase to describe where he has been physically since the start of the season. " I still think it has more juice. So I need to push the bike more."

Marc Márquez was the only Ducati rider not to clearly acknowledge the superiority of the Aprilia RS-GP, but his answer says more about how he sees his own fitness, rather than the relative levels of the Ducati and the Aprilia. Márquez' shoulder has limited his ability to extract the maximum potential from the Ducati Desmosedici GP26, so he won't know whether the Aprilia is better until his shoulder is stronger again. That will take a while, but the good news is that it will happen.

Unlike Marc Márquez, I am every comfortable saying that the Aprilia is a better bike than the Ducati. And like Marc Márquez, I also can't extract the maximum potential from the Desmosedici GP26. Unlike Márquez, however, I will never be able to do that, even if I lived a thousand lifetimes, whereas Marc Márquez should be capable of getting everything out of the bike by Sachsenring at the latest.

Don't take my word for it, however. Just look at the results of the Italian Grand Prix, where Marco Bezzecchi took yet another convincing victory, and Jorge Martin made it another Aprilia 1-2 on the podium. Bezzecchi and Martin lead the championship, Aprilia leads the manufacturer standings, and the Aprilia Racing and Trackhouse Racing teams lead the team standings.

What's more, there could have been an Aprilia clean sweep at Mugello. Raul Fernandez found a false neutral between third and second as he was downshifting for San Donato after the start, which meant he ran wide and dropped down to 18th position after the first corner. If Ai Ogura had been eight hundredths of a second faster on Friday afternoon, and nine hundredths of a second quicker in Q1, then he wouldn't have started from 13th on the grid, and had to make his way through the field. Which he did, and then came just over three hundredths short of the podium on the final lap, losing out on acceleration to Pecco Bagnaia.

So why are the Aprilia riders suddenly dominating MotoGP? Where is the Aprilia now better than the Ducati? Will Marc Márquez return to his 2025 form? And was Mugello a foretaste of what is to come in 2027? For MotoMatters.com subscribers and Patreon supporters, I answer those questions and more below.

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7
2026
MotoGP
Mugello, Italy
Ai Ogura
Fabio Di Giannantonio
Fermín Aldeguer
Francesco Bagnaia
Jorge Martin
Marc Marquez
Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta
CormacGP
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Comments

I really thought we were in for a mammoth battle at the front there - Pecco on a good start, Marc back to health(yish) and not far back, the Aprilias up the front but on a 'Ducati' track. However, I woefully underestimated just how hot those Aprilias are right now. 

Glad race direction showed us the action a little further back, and as you pointed out with some realignment coming in 2027 there's a potential for the top talent to be bunched together more. I'm not convinved we'll ever be back to those 2006 level tussles of 5 riders duking it out for the top spot, but perhaps the 850s will turn everything upside down and I'll be pleasantly surprised. 

Great stuff. But given both Martin and Bezzecchi hit 368+ kph (in FP2 & Sprint respectively) I think we can safely say top speed is not a weakness of the Aprilia.

What are we to make of Aprilia's new top speed record vs. Pecco out dragging Ai to the finish line and Bez's comment to Pecco "Your bike was a rocket on the straight"?

Did Acosta have an explanation for his big finishing step in the GP vs. the sprint?

Trivial thoughts: why did Marc's helmet appear to be primer-paint gray, and why did the factory Ducati fairing numbers look like a generic sans serif font vs. the all but illegible calligraphy last year? 

"And like Marc Márquez, I also can't extract the maximum potential from the Desmosedici GP26" :-D

Aside from the Ducati and Aprilia factory riders from whom we always expect something good, even if those expectations aren’t always met, Ogura and Fernandez were my stars of the weekend. 

I am a Raul anti-fan but he deserves a lot of credit for this whole weekend. This is especially true given the extensive rumours of his replacement in Trackhouse, which would be hard to work through for anyone. My admiration is expanding,,, ,  As for Ogura, well his overtakes are just awesome to watch - the most exhilarating things in MotoGp this year for mine. (And he has only stuffed up once!) And on top of that Marc being ballsy and indestructible, and Bezz nailing a win that meant so much to him. We end up with a weekend that just emphasises how impressive these competitors really are. 

Misquoted ? Attributed to Marc by mistake ?

"I was scared, because I know that a small mistake there can cost a big injury. So I was careful there," Márquez said.

What depths of humanity is this ? The guy who hid injuries from the public, never giving his rivals a glimpse of vulnerability. 'Marc will back off and cede curvone' said no rider ever. 'It's not worth dying for' more likely behind shaded visors. But now this. He'll take up painting with watercolour next. Catalan vistas with little cute expressive birds and fluffy rabbits, a 'woke motorati'. Is it possible that the Big Orange could invade Spain to protect our something amendment ? I feel sorry for his Dad, years of care and it's come to this.

Joking aside, pulling Marc's comments apart. If we accept as fact that a fully fit Marc on the Ducati can beat the Aprilia boys, that only Marc is capable of extracting the bikes full potential. Then where would an Aprilia + Marc be ? Just like his Honda days, extracting that potential comes with risk. Hopefully he's just being more calculated in when the risk is worth it (about time, never too late). If not, he'll never overcome a superior bike. 

I don’t have shares in the broadcasting company or any other ulterior motive when I say that the tv coverage this year is on another level. I’ve watched dozens and dozens of races at Mugello but the way the tv crew conveyed the terrifying speed of the corner sequences yesterday was pure class. I don’t know what they were doing differently but I was close to peering through fingers during the first few laps.

On a different note, I was one of the horde clamouring for rule changes to address the boring races over the last few years. But now, when we’re having the best season for a long time, I’m worrying in case next year might turn out to be quite dull!

I love to watch Mugello. Even better there, it really is something special- even the long walk before and after.

But riding it on those beasts would scare the living daylights out of me and I would still be depressingly slow even on my best day. Those guys are all super capable and intelligent with it. Bravery indeed. Only they know the profit to be taken (not just lap time) from pushing to where the limit lies whilst calculating which adjustments to make next. Awesome. I just cannot compute what nigh on 230 mph must be like down that so called straight. If only……

..was 2013 when, on my third visit to Mugello, I was given paddock passes and hospitality for my 50th birthday from connections of the teams the brands I worked with. Anyway, a paddock regular told me to walk up to the car/truck park at the end of the pit lane exit and warned me I’ll have never seen anything like it except for maybe certain spots on the isle. It’s uphill and cresting just beyond, at that proximity almost like a chicane! Jeez, he wasn’t wrong: violent, blurred, visceral and utterly compelling. That was the year MM93 crashed there at (quoting MCN) 209.9 mph. Apparently there are quicker tortoises today…

This was exactly the kind of weekend we needed after the Catalunya debacle. Amazing racing.

I hope the Aprilia factory championship battle continues, and more importantly that the two riders are able to remain respectful and cordial. No more walls in the pit box or mind games. With the workload and intensity these guys are riding at it's just a matter of safety and bandwidth management.

Ai cooked the last bend...

Shame Ai rushed that last bend overtake.  As Hodgy would say; he didn't need to outbrake Pecco but just to draw level with him.  

I thought we had the conversation about it the Aprilia the better bike about 3 rounds from the end of last season?  

It would seem with the longer wheelbase, the Ducati can't give front end feel and rear end grip.  They need to shorten the bike again and take a backward step.  

Ducati were obviously happy enough with the package they have after the most recent tests so the dye is cast for the rest of the season.  It was up to them to go for it testing and they didn't.  

Yamaha were woeful again.  In all honesty, KTM's problems are visible!  It also looked like a lack of top speed?  weren't KTM the fastest just a couple of years ago?  

Interesting how Pecco may do well when Marc is about but he always does very well when Marc is NOT at his best!  .....and although it is unsaid, he actually stayed on this time!  

In all honesty, KTM's problems are visible!  It also looked like a lack of top speed?  weren't KTM the fastest just a couple of years ago?

As David recently reported 

KTM sacrificed some of that top speed this year in pursuit of a bit more turning while preserving the tires better.

Source: https://motomatters.com/analysis/2026/05/28/mugello_motogp_preview_does…

"If Ai Ogura had been eight hundredths of a second faster on Friday afternoon, and nine hundredths of a second quicker in Q1, then he wouldn't have started from 13th on the grid, and had to make his way through the field. Which he did, and then came just over three hundredths short of the podium on the final lap, losing out on acceleration to Pecco Bagnaia."

So, if he had been faster, his results would have been better? Look, the sun is rising in the east. Again! 

I get it, the margins were small. 

"Interesting how Pecco may do well when Marc is about but he always does very well when Marc is NOT at his best"

It is interesting. Even when Marc isn't even playing mind games he's in Pecco's mind.  Sometimes I almost think Pecco has imposter syndrome when Marc enters the picture.

Shrink could give us an analysis. I miss his post race stream of consciousness posts lol. Hope he's well.

 

Jsgp I've been in touch with the shrink who is well. Shrink reckons in Pecco's case it's not imposter syndrome.

Motoshrink told me "Pecco is back to form and will succeed. But get beaten by the gorgeous Aprilias. Hoping Bez gets his #1 plate."

Shrink is enjoying a digital detox and working on his own therapy. While still following the motorbike racing.

He's still a Triumph tragic despite their race results. Oli Bayliss why, why. Tom Booth-Amos bloody almost.

Motoshrink has been watching the TT at the Isle of Man from the couch. With his dog. Also doing some racing in the northern summer.

The shrink is on the spanners fiddling with his bikes. Planning to race his Kawasaki ninja 400 in some endurance races.

John McGuiness & Jeremy McWilliams are inspiring shrink to keep racing. Apparently.

Apical & Motoshrink are riding around in the real world.

I'll be taking a motorcycle north to Portland this summer, and when I get there I will imagine that any rider who waves back to me is 'Shrink. Please pass on best wishes from us if you communicate with him again.

(I know, in OZ you don't wave. Something about the throttle side I think)

Thanks for that Apical. Both you and Shrink sounds very sensible and lucky in the scheme of things.