Aprilia’s evolution in MotoGP is undeniable. We saw it during the season and during the GP last weekend, and now we have seen it again in the official test where once again, Raúl Fernández and Marco Bezzecchi were the fastest drivers. A day in which the track could not be used as much as everyone would have liked due to the conditions it was in early in the morning.
As always happens, the list of fastest laps of a test does not say much in itself, since the work rate of each team and driver can vary. And while some have the same material as the entire season and are dedicated to fine-tuning the set-up, others have to try new elements and draw conclusions, rather than looking for the best time.
But in this case that does not hide a clear reality and that is that, today, Aprilia is the brand that is closest to Ducati in terms of competitiveness. And in specific cases, their pilots are faster. Precisely Álex Márquez, already an official Ducati rider within the Gresini structure, was the fastest of the brand working on the 2026 bike. A job that he is sharing with Bagnaia, who leaves the test with good feelings although in tenth position after a fall.
Precisely that Desmosedici GP25 that has given Bagnaia so many headaches seems to have suited Fermín Aldeguer better, who finished the day fourth behind Álex and close in time. Of course, with all the changes and options from Ducati it is really difficult to know from the outside which Ducati was the one from Murcia who, in any case, completed a positive day with a total of 55 laps.
Fifth and sixth, also in pairs, were Pedro Acosta and Maverick Viñales with very even times between them. Although KTM still seems a step behind Ducati and Aprilia, they are getting closer. The work on aerodynamics and ergonomics such as those carried out in the test is bearing fruit, with Binder finishing ninth.
Two Ducatis were placed between Viñales and Binder. Di Giannantonio finished the day eighth, who had a technical problem in the middle of the day, and Nicolo Bulega who has been growing session after session since he began his role as Marc Márquez’s replacement, and who stopped the clock only 288 thousandths behind Fernández’s time with the Aprilia. A great step forward that, without a doubt, will allow Bulega to play his role as a development driver with greater solvency, in addition to continuing to be the main candidate for the WSBK title.
Aprilia, Ducati and KTM are in search of the tenth and Honda and Yamaha are going for the big leap
Outside the top 10 were the two Japanese brands, each focused on certain needs. After Honda reached concession group C (in which KTM and Aprilia are found), Mir, Marini and Zarco debuted and began to understand the 2026 motorcycle, which is an evolution, and the curious thing is that the three practically “nailed” their fastest lap.
While Yamaha took the V4 to the track for all its riders and although it was not expected to be like this, Quartararo got to test the old M1 before focusing on the development of the new model with an engine that is not yet showing its full potential. A step that will continue with the private tests that the official drivers will continue to carry out today in Cheste. It stands out in this sense that Toprak Razgatlioglu was the one who achieved the second best time for Yamaha, ahead of Rins and Miller.
But Toprak was not the only debutant, since the new Moto2 champion Diogo Moreira made his debut with a more than reasonable first contact and without falls to be penultimate. Also making his debut, although as a substitute for the injured Franco Morbidelli, was Celestino Vietti, who more than a test achieved the prize of riding a MotoGP for 21 laps and enjoying an experience available to very few.
After the Valencia test and with the exception of Yamaha and the test teams that can carry out some more private training, now the curtain falls on the season until the end of January when the MotoGP will return to Sepang from the 29th to the 31st for the “Shakedown Test”, with the test riders and Yamaha before the test takes place on February 3rd with the entire grid.
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