New Aprilia Aero: Technical Director jokes about "grab handles" on the RS-GP26

– Aprilia took the first three positions on the timesheet at the MotoGP test in Jerez on Monday. Even more than the lap times, the revolutionary aerodynamics caught the eye. Unusual “handholds” were seen on the RS-GP26s of Aprilia factory riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin at different times of the day, to the left and right of the windscreen. What’s the story behind them?

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When Aprilia Technical Director Fabiano Sterlacchini was asked about this after the Jerez test, he initially replied with a joke: “The purpose of the parts you see in the upper area of the fairing is exactly that, namely handholds, to be able to better grip the bike in case of a bike change.” In the same breath, he admitted that this is, of course, not the real reason for the innovation.

Sterlacchini thus spoke in all seriousness of a “new concept that we have tested in CFD simulations. The main goal was to now validate these findings on the track.”

So, as is often the case with aerodynamic innovations, it was about the correlation between the wind tunnel or CFD on the one hand, and reality on the racetrack on the other. In fact, the unusual fairings are intended to calm the airflow around the rider’s shoulders.

Despite championship lead and new rules 2027: RS-GP26 continues to be improved

One thing is obvious: Although Aprilia currently leads all three championship standings of the 2026 MotoGP season – riders, teams, manufacturers – holding even the first two places in both the riders’ and teams’ standings, no stone is left unturned to further improve the RS-GP26 with its 1,000cc engine.

Does this potentially affect the development of the Aprilia with an 850cc engine for the new MotoGP regulations from 2027? “To be honest, we set out a plan at the beginning of how we should implement the two projects,” says Sterlacchini, adding: “Currently, we are sticking to the plan, although we admittedly are currently more successful than we ourselves had expected.”

Marco Bezzecchi not only won all of the first three Grands Prix of the season (Thailand, Brazil, USA). He also led every single lap in these three Grands Prix. Last Sunday at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez, the streak was broken. Bezzecchi achieved neither a leading lap nor the victory. With P2, however, he still extended his lead over teammate Jorge Martin at the top of the riders’ standings.

Jorge Martin explains the Aprilia philosophy

“For the time being, we want to stick to our plan,” says Sterlacchini about the further development of the RS-GP26. The technical director cannot yet say when the focus will shift to 2027: “We must not lose sight of the fact that we are currently having a really good run with the 2026 bike. We must use this opportunity to further improve the bike.”

Because, as Jorge Martin emphasizes, “you always have to try to get even better. That’s exactly what we’re focusing on. I believe that there is no peak in this sport. You can always get better. That’s exactly what Aprilia is doing.”

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“Yes, we have a bike that works well. Now it’s about finding out where we can make it even better. Because, of course, we know that our opponents are also improving,” Martin continued: “I believe that both Marco and I made some progress at this test. We will see the result of that in the next races.”

Why the Jerez test was so important for Martin

When asked what parts he tested on Monday in Jerez, Martin replied: “New parts. I’m currently catching up on the time lost in February.”

The Spaniard is referring to the fact that he had to miss the first week of winter testing (Sepang) to recover from the two subsequent operations for his injuries from the 2025 season. He was present at the second winter test (Buriram), but not yet fully fit.

“So there are parts that are not new in themselves, but are very much new to me,” explains Martin. “I couldn’t use them in the first races, while the other [Aprilia] riders did. It was impossible to try out these parts on race weekends. That’s why this Monday here was a very important day for me.”

And after Martin completed 64 laps in Jerez on Monday, narrowly missing the top 10 on the timesheet, he noted with satisfaction: “Every time I went out of the pit box onto the track, I made great improvements.”

“Furthermore,” Martin continued, “it became clear to me that I had a problem with the rear tire on Sunday. At the test, I immediately had the normal feeling again, and every time we changed something, we improved the package for me.”

“For this reason, I am very satisfied. The improvements on my side of the garage are obvious. Now we just have to keep going,” says Martin, highlighting that his biggest progress was “in braking, cornering, and acceleration.” The test conclusion of the 2024 MotoGP world champion is: “I feel good and the bike feels better.”

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