APRILIA ENTERS SILVERSTONE AS THE FAVORITE AFTER PRACTICE PACE AND INJURY-TESTED BEZZECCHI

Silverstone has earned a reputation for being anything but predictable in MotoGP, and the numbers behind that claim are stark. Over the last 11 British Grands Prix, 11 different riders from five manufacturers have taken victory. The streak began in 2013 with Jorge Lorenzo edging Marc Marquez to the line, continued with Marquez’s revenge in 2014, and then moved through a run of wet-weather drama and tyre-sensitive races: Valentino Rossi’s wet triumph in 2015, Maverick Vinales ending Suzuki’s wait in 2016, Andrea Dovizioso winning in 2017, and Alex Rins delivering another last-lap thriller over Marquez in 2019. Fabio Quartararo won in 2021, Pecco Bagnaia in 2022, Aleix Espargaro in 2023, Enea Bastianini in 2024, and Marco Bezzecchi last year.

With the 2026 British Grand Prix set to resume a tightly packed championship fight—five riders separated by just 24 points, and eight within 65—Silverstone’s history is once again in the spotlight. On Thursday, riders were asked why so many different winners have emerged at the circuit.

Franco Morbidelli pointed to the weather, saying simply, “It’s rainy,” before adding that the track and conditions can change a lot, which makes it hard to pinpoint a single reason. Alex Marquez described how the gap between Saturday and Sunday can be enormous: he said that while he had been fastest on the sprint and had margin to win on Sunday, the weather shifted significantly, with wind affecting the pace and Sunday laps running “like nearly two seconds slower than Saturday.”

Joan Mir also emphasised the circuit’s difficulty in finding the right lines, noting that Silverstone is typically tricky due to cold conditions and its wide layout. He highlighted tyre consumption as a major factor, and recalled that last year his group had been close to a podium fight even when earlier races weren’t going well. Mir suggested the track can create opportunities for riders to capitalise on others’ struggles, adding that wind can allow a rider to make more of a difference and that adaptation has to be quicker.

The common thread across the comments was Silverstone’s exposure to wind. The circuit’s open layout offers no shelter, and in the aero era that has made gusts particularly influential. Crash’s report also noted that Friday conditions were not as severe, but the wind can still change from day to day—meaning the weekend’s outcome may hinge on how riders manage temperature and grip.

That unpredictability is being tested against a clear performance signal from Aprilia. The 2025 British Grand Prix ended with Aprilia victory through Bezzecchi, with the context shaped by Fabio Quartararo’s retirement from a commanding lead due to a ride height device issue. The win also marked the start of Aprilia’s stronger title-contender trajectory, and the team arrived at Silverstone in 2026 as the benchmark.

Bezzecchi underlined that status by smashing the existing lap record during practice, setting a 1m56.280s to lead the session outright. The report framed it as a kind of weekend “victory” even before race day, given that Bezzecchi’s summer break was disrupted by injuries: a fractured collarbone from a crash at the German Grand Prix, plus a knee injury that required treatment. He explained to the media, including Crash, that both injuries were tough, with complicated surgery: “The shoulder was a collarbone… the fracture was very bad,” while the knee wound was “Very deep,” and reopening the surgery revealed he had “scratched” his bone.

Despite that, Aprilia looked in control on Friday. The RS-GP was fastest in all four practice splits, with Bezzecchi topping three and Raul Fernandez taking the other. The report also pointed out that Bezzecchi’s repeat of his 2025 win may be difficult because the knee injury forces him to “force the bike a lot,” affecting his ability to sustain performance over longer runs. He did much of his work on the soft tyre and was not far off the pace, but the limitation for the races, the report suggested, will likely be fitness.

Fernandez, meanwhile, was slightly quicker on the medium tyre over a short run. When asked whether he could repeat the strategy that worked for him at Mugello, Fernandez said he did not yet have enough data to decide. Tyre consumption is high at Silverstone, and for the grand prix the medium is expected to be the universal choice; the sprint tyre picture is less clear.

Other riders offered a mixed read on their chances. Ai Ogura looked like he could be fastest early, being the first rider to break the 1m56s barrier at Silverstone, but he ultimately finished 0.530s off the pace in fifth. He called his lap “acceptable” but did not feel he had the pace to fight for the podium.

Ducati’s response was also scrutinised. Luca Marini said track temperature helped, explaining that a bit more warmth is beneficial because it keeps the front tyre from getting too cold while still delivering rear performance. He also pointed to the step Aprilia and Ducati have taken this year, saying both improved so much that they reached “really another step that is huge.”

Still, Ducati’s challenge at Silverstone may be constrained by circumstances. Fabio Di Giannantonio was third, 0.398s behind Bezzecchi, and Marc Marquez said Di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez are fast, but that the Aprilia riders can be more consistent. Marquez also noted that his physical condition is affecting him, and at this stage the podium looked out of reach.

Ultimately, the report’s conclusion was that Aprilia’s advantage is real, but Silverstone’s recent history—11 different winners in 11 years—remains a reminder that the race can still swing. The layout and tyre-wear characteristics may favour Aprilia more than Ducati, yet the circuit has repeatedly shown that anything can happen.