– After the quietest phase of the year, in which only one Grand Prix took place over the past six weekends, MotoGP kicks off the busiest part of the current season with the Aragon Grand Prix.
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The remaining ten races will be held over the next 14 weekends. Mistakes and injuries could have a direct impact on the title fight.
The focus remains on the duel between Aprilia and Ducati. The two manufacturers have so far delivered a close battle. Before the race in Aragon, Aprilia seems to have a slight advantage. However, MotorLand is a track that could particularly favor Ducati.
1. Can Marc Marquez strike back in Aragon?
Marc Marquez is likely to be watched very closely in Aragon. The reigning world champion has an impressive record on the Spanish circuit.
Since his MotoGP debut in 2013, the Spaniard has won seven races in the premier class there. Since his switch to Ducati in 2024, Marquez has been unbeaten at MotorLand. Accordingly, many things point to an eighth victory for the Ducati rider. However, the task could be more difficult this year.
On the one hand, Aprilia has caught up significantly compared to the Sachsenring, which was just two races ago. On the other hand, Marquez is traveling to Aragon after a disappointing weekend in Silverstone. There, the 33-year-old visibly struggled and had to settle for seventh place.
It was particularly noticeable that Marquez had problems precisely in areas that once counted among his strengths on the Silverstone Circuit. Against some of his Ducati brand colleagues, the Spaniard could hardly offer resistance, while the Aprilia riders dominated the action at the front.
Nevertheless, Marquez did not want to panic. After all, a single race does not decide a world championship. Moreover, Assen had already shown that the Ducati rider can be vulnerable on certain tracks this season.
Therefore, it will be crucial how Marquez performs on those circuits that suit him particularly well. Aragon definitely belongs to them. A strong weekend could give him the opportunity to make up important points on the leaders.
2. How will Johann Zarco perform in his comeback?
Johann Zarco is also in the spotlight in Aragon. The LCR Honda rider is expected to participate in a MotoGP race again for the first time since his serious accident at the Catalonia Grand Prix in May. However, this is contingent on the Frenchman passing the mandatory fitness check on Thursday.
Zarco has undergone a painful rehabilitation phase lasting more than 100 days. During the first restart of the race in Barcelona, his leg was trapped in Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati. His knee was injured in the process.
An originally planned operation was ultimately not necessary. Zarco and his doctors decided on conservative treatment and rehabilitation at home. Because recovery progressed faster than initially expected in recent weeks, he was able to schedule his return earlier than planned.
There are no great sporting expectations for his comeback. Due to his long injury break, Zarco has no current MotoGP riding experience. During his time off, he trained on a supermoto and a Honda superbike.
For LCR, however, his return is of great importance: the team can compete with its full rider lineup again for the first time in months.
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Fermin Aldeguer is also expected to rejoin the action at Gresini. The Spaniard missed the past two race weekends. This means Maverick Vinales is likely the only regular MotoGP rider not on the starting grid at the Aragon Grand Prix. Pol Espargaro will take his place.
3. Has KTM regained its lost engine power?
KTM could make an important step forward in Aragon. The Austrian manufacturer was allowed to make necessary changes to its problematic engines this month. The trigger was several technical difficulties and failures on Pedro Acosta’s machine.
To improve reliability, KTM had to sacrifice power in recent races and reduce the engines’ performance somewhat.
Photo gallery: MotoGP Aragon: Winners and podiums since 2010
KTM initially needed the approval of the competition for the necessary work, as the engines were already sealed. After receiving permission, KTM was able to carry out the changes in time for the Aragon Grand Prix.
Whether the RC16 can now actually be used again with full engine power will only be seen on the track. For the four KTM riders in MotoGP, however, the development is important news regardless.
So far, KTM has established itself as the third strongest manufacturer behind Ducati and Aprilia. At the same time, the team has now been waiting for another podium finish for four race weekends. The last one was achieved by Pedro Acosta at the Hungarian Grand Prix. That is why every additional horsepower counts in Aragon.
4. Will Francesco Bagnaia make amends?
Francesco Bagnaia is also likely to travel to Aragon with a clear goal: to quickly forget the difficult performance in Silverstone.
At the British Grand Prix, the Italian failed to score any points for the first time this season. This recalled difficult phases of his 2025 season, when Bagnaia sometimes could not even explain his lack of performance.
Overall, however, his 2026 season has gone significantly better than the previous year. Much suggests that Silverstone was just a one-off low. Aragon also offers Bagnaia good conditions for a positive turnaround.
The Ducati rider has already won on the circuit and stood on the podium as third last year. His goal will be to pick up the form that regularly made him a candidate for the front places before the summer break. Between Barcelona and Brno, he finished third four times.
5. Can Toprak Razgatlioglu turn his season around?
Toprak Razgatlioglu also has a lot to make up for after a disappointing weekend in Britain. The only rider the Pramac Yamaha pilot was able to leave behind in Silverstone was test rider Augusto Fernandez.
Especially in the long curves, the three-time Superbike world champion lacked the necessary performance. However, the track characteristics of Aragon could suit him. The stop-and-go layout is likely to fit the strengths of his Yamaha better than the fast and flowing Silverstone circuit.
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However, Razgatlioglu faces an additional challenge: If he wants to achieve his declared goal and finish a MotoGP race in the top 10 for the first time, he must further adapt his riding style to the premier class.
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