APRILIA KEEPS DEVELOPING ITS RS-GP AHEAD OF 2027 RULES

Aprilia used the MotoGP weekend in Aragon to underline that development of its current RS-GP is far from finished, even as the factory’s attention increasingly turns toward the new 2027 850cc regulations. After a small aerodynamic update at the previous round in Silverstone, new parts appeared again on Friday morning in Spain, this time focused on the rear of the bike.

Aprilia team manager Paolo Bonora confirmed that the changes are part of ongoing testing rather than a one-off upgrade. “There are a few things we are testing here,” he said, pointing specifically to the modifications to the tail section. His stated goal is to improve the bike’s behavior at speed and under pressure: “We want to further optimize the bike’s stability.”

The broader context is that Aprilia is one of the few manufacturers still bringing new hardware for the 1000cc machine deep into the season. While the other four brands have already shifted their full focus to their 2027 projects, Aprilia is running two programmes at the same time—continuing to refine the RS-GP while also developing the completely new 850cc bike for the next rule set.

Bonora framed the decision as a calculated attempt to maximize the opportunity presented by the current package. In the rider standings, three Aprilia riders are currently ahead of title defender Marc Marquez, and the team believes the RS-GP still has a chance to fight at the front. However, he cautioned against assuming that the same performance seen at Silverstone will automatically translate to Aragon. “We knew that the layout in Silverstone suits us with its fast corners,” Bonora admitted. “But here in Aragon, in the past we had a bit of trouble.”

He also highlighted what Aprilia has been working on over recent months, suggesting that the team has targeted known weaknesses. “We’ve worked on the known weak points and improved the bike—especially in the tight corners,” he said.

That creates a balancing act for Noale: continuing to push the 1000cc bike without allowing the 850cc project to suffer. Bonora insisted that Aprilia is not willing to pause RS-GP development. “We know we have a chance. And we don’t want to let that chance go,” he said, adding that the competition is also operating at a very high level. “Our bike is certainly really good. But our rivals are working at a very high level too.”

He emphasized that the team must keep improving race by race, even with the new project already underway. “We have to keep getting better from race to race, even if there is already a new project with the 850,” Bonora said. “So there are two projects. We have to push both projects at the same time to the highest possible level. It’s a really demanding job, but we know our potential.”

To illustrate the intensity of the workload, Bonora summed it up with a joke that also served as a clear message about commitment: “We work eight days a week and 25 hours per day. It’s difficult, but we know it’s necessary.”

In Aragon, the new rear aerodynamic parts are presented as the visible proof of that approach—Aprilia continuing to invest in the present while the future 850cc programme takes shape.