Aprilia RS-GP 850 Makes Wet Jerez Track Debut as 2027 Era Begins

Aprilia became the last of the five MotoGP manufacturers to run its 850cc prototype on track, completing the first laps of the RS-GP 850 at a wet Jerez during a private test on Wednesday. Test rider Lorenzo Savadori was at the controls for the track debut, with the bike featuring 2027-spec aerodynamics including a revised nose profile and protruding front wing but no seat wings. Rain could not stop them completing several laps.

Aprilia Debut Radical Screen Wings at Jerez Test to Manage Rider Airflow

Aprilia debuted a striking new aerodynamic solution at the Jerez test, a pair of wings mounted on the upper fairing around the screen area of Marco Bezzecchi’s RS-GP. The wings are positioned much higher than Ducati’s dual-plane side wings, with the top plane curved to generate downforce and the endplates sculpted to manage airflow around the rider, potentially reducing drag while boosting the effectiveness of the leg wings.

Aprilia to Debut 850cc MotoGP Prototype at Jerez Private Test This Week

Aprilia is among the manufacturers returning to Jerez later in the week for private testing, when the Noale factory will debut its 850cc prototype on the circuit for the first time. The 850cc machine will run under private conditions at Jerez before the paddock moves to Le Mans for Round 5 on May 8. Ducati ran their GP27 at Misano earlier this month. Aprilia are now ready to fire up their answer.

Zarco Leads Honda in Jerez Test as Team Targets Small But Important Gains

Johann Zarco was the leading Honda in the Jerez test, ending ninth overall. Luca Marini was first out on track for Honda at the start of the morning session, with the team focusing on small but important gains rather than chasing lap times. Honda has been methodically searching for incremental improvements throughout the 2026 season and used the Jerez test to continue that process ahead of Le Mans in two weeks.

Toprak Admits He Must Change Natural Riding Instincts to Crack MotoGP at Jerez

Toprak Razgatlioglu made a candid admission at the Jerez test, saying that on tracks like Jerez he naturally tends to ride like he did in Superbike and that this comes automatically, but it is something he needs to change. The three time WorldSBK champion said he is adapting more to the MotoGP style step by step and that the team now has a large amount of data from him following the test.

Bagnaia Points to Electronics as Key Ducati Weakness After Jerez Test

Francesco Bagnaia said after the Jerez test that Ducati will probably have to start thinking a little outside the box when it comes to electronics , identifying the area as a key focus heading into the second half of the season. Bagnaia spent the test retesting a fairing that had been tried at the Valencia test last year and at the Sepang preseason test this year. He completed the day 10th overall, with more questions than answers after a difficult weekend.

Acosta and Pedrosa Unlock KTM Aero Progress in Productive Jerez Test

KTM left the Jerez test satisfied after Pedro Acosta and their engineers found genuine progress with new aerodynamic solutions, with the Red Bull team indicating the updates could be race ready in the near future, Test rider Dani Pedrosa worked on a new lower fairing throughout the day while Acosta focused on different aero configurations. KTM themselves described the investigation into Acosta’s performance as having yielded results at Jerez.

Ogura Tops Jerez Test But Says He Must Understand His Late Flying Lap

Ai Ogura said he needed to understand why his late test pace was so much faster than his race speed , after the Trackhouse Aprilia rider topped the Jerez test with a 1:35.944 despite not targeting a time attack for most of the day. Ogura spent most of the session on medium tyres working on race setup, only switching to the soft rear for one final run at the end. The lap was better than his race pace all weekend. He wants to know why.

Pramac Boss Borsoi Defends Yamaha V4 Project After Jerez: This Is a Great Job

Pramac Yamaha boss Gino Borsoi defended the V4 project at the Jerez test, saying he could not understand the negative perception around Yamaha and that being a second to a second and a half off rivals who have developed their V4 to maximum expression seems like a great job to him. Borsoi also pointed to the V4 as the direct base for the 2027 850cc project, arguing it must be made to work now.

VR46 Chief Salucci Hits Out at Factory Ducati With Bold Top Team Claim

VR46 team director Uccio Salucci declared his independent squad the top Ducati team in MotoGP right now, pointing to Di Giannantonio sitting as the highest placed Ducati rider in the standings and VR46 third in the teams championship. Salucci credited Diggia’s second year with crew chief Massimo Branchini as a key factor, saying they are working better and better together. Factory Ducati has gone nine straight races without a Sunday podium.