Aprilia Racing officially unveil RS-GP26 alongside Martin and Bezzecchi

Aprilia RS-GP26

Aprilia Racing has launched its 2026 MotoGP campaign with the unveiling of the RS-GP26 in Milan, confirming Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín as its factory rider pairing for a second consecutive season.

Massimo Rivola – Aprilia Racing CEO

“We’re tackling the 2026 season well aware of what we are and where we want to be. We are coming from a solid 2025 which allowed us to reach an extremely high level of competitiveness, and the goal now is to battle in every race. We’ll be following two different paths in the garage. On one side, we’re keen to pick up from the same level where we left off at the end of last season with Marco, and on the other, we’ll be building a lot with Jorge. We believe very much in the RS-GP26 and we maintain that it has great potential, as do our riders.”

The presentation signals continuity in personnel alongside further technical evolution of the RS-GP platform, as Aprilia looks to build on what was statistically its strongest MotoGP season to date in 2025.

Building on a breakthrough 2025 season

Aprilia ended the 2025 season second in the Manufacturers Championship with 418 points, the first time the Noale-based manufacturer has broken the 400-point mark in MotoGP.

Bezzecchi finished third in the Riders Championship on 353 points, the best individual championship result in Aprilia’s MotoGP history.

Across the season, Aprilia recorded:

• 19 podium finishes
• Three sprint race wins
• Four Grand Prix victories
• Five pole positions

The campaign also included Aprilia’s 300th Grand Prix win at the Australian Grand Prix, a milestone that later increased to 302 victories across all classes.

Those results set a clear benchmark for 2026, with Aprilia aiming to convert regular podium contention into more consistent race-winning form.

RS-GP26: final evolution of the current MotoGP technical era

The RS-GP26 represents the latest development of Aprilia’s MotoGP prototype under the current technical regulations, which will undergo a wholesale change in 2027 with the reduction in capacity to 850 cc amidst a switch to Pirelli tyres.

Aprilia has revised multiple areas of the bike, including aerodynamics, chassis architecture, electronics and the 1000 cc V4 engine, within the limits of the regulations. Development has focused on refining performance rather than wholesale redesign, reflecting the maturity of the current RS-GP platform.

The RS-GP26 continues to feature a 90-degree V4 engine, pneumatic valve actuation, a seamless transmission, and advanced ride-height devices. As with all MotoGP machinery, the bike complies with the 157 kg minimum weight limit and unified Magneti Marelli electronics.

With 2026 the final season before the next rule reset, the RS-GP26 effectively marks the closing chapter of Aprilia’s current MotoGP technical cycle.

Rider line-up: continuity and recovery

Marco Bezzecchi enters 2026 off the back of his most competitive season to date, having established himself as Aprilia’s reference rider across 2025. His focus for the new season will be consistency and maintaining momentum from a strong year-end run.

Marco Bezzecchi

“I’m happy to finally be getting back to talking about bikes. I am anxious to start and we have a lot of work to do, although we never really stopped. In Noale, the company is working intensely and I have been training constantly. I am highly motivated and I can’t wait to have fun in the saddle. The 2025 season finale was extremely positive and that boosts our confidence even more. The goal is to start the season straight away in the best possible way and to continue doing a good job.”

Jorge Martín approaches 2026 from a different position. His 2025 campaign was interrupted by injuries, limiting his ability to deliver consistent results. Fully fit heading into the new season, Martín’s priority will be re-establishing himself at the front and extracting his full potential from the RS-GP26.

Jorge Martín

“After our experience last year along with Aprilia and the latest extremely important tests in Valencia, the goal now is to keep growing together. I’m sure there will be a lot of work to do at the start of the season, but we are well aware of where we need to improve. This will be a year where I want to get back to battling for the top spots and winning. As soon as I am at 100% fitness, we’ll be ready for anything.”

Aprilia has retained Lorenzo Savadori as official test rider, continuing his role in both in-season development and longer-term projects. Savadori is also expected to make selected wildcard appearances during the season.

Lorenzo Savadori

“I can’t wait for 2026 to begin. The primary objective is to continue improving the bike, advancing the work and the path we began in 2025, in order to see Aprilia consistently at the front. I’ll be riding in a few wild-card spots throughout the season, and I’ll be giving it my all to contribute to developing the RS-GP26. In addition to all this, around April, we’ll also begin working and developing in view of 2027.”

Trackhouse partnership remains central to development

Aprilia’s factory effort continues to be supported by the Trackhouse MotoGP Team, with Raúl Fernández and Ai Ogura providing additional data and race feedback.

Aprilia views the Trackhouse operation as a strategic development partner rather than a traditional satellite team, using its results and data to accelerate RS-GP development across different riding styles and conditions.

Outlook for 2026

Aprilia enters the 2026 MotoGP season with a stable rider line-up, a mature technical platform and clear performance targets. While the manufacturer has established itself as a consistent podium contender, the challenge remains translating that competitiveness into a sustained title campaign.

With the RS-GP26 representing the final iteration of the current MotoGP ruleset, 2026 is likely to be both a performance push and a bridge year, as Aprilia continues development work toward the 2027 regulations in parallel.

Aprilia RS-GP26 key technical highlights

• 1000 cc 90-degree V4 engine with pneumatic valves
• 280+ horsepower
• Up to 17,500 rpm
• Seamless six-speed transmission
• Unified Magneti Marelli electronics
• Öhlins suspension front and rear
• Carbon fibre swingarm and aluminium chassis
• Michelin MotoGP tyres
• Brembo carbon front brakes
• Minimum weight: 157 kg

2026 MotoGP Dates

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