BEZZECCHI TESTS APRILIA’S RADICAL AERO PARTS FOR 850CC MOTOGP BIKE

Aprilia is already exploring radical ideas for MotoGP’s 2027 rules, with Marco Bezzecchi testing an 850cc prototype at Spielberg. The Italian finished third in the test, behind Honda’s Diogo Moreira and KTM’s Pedro Acosta, as the Noale manufacturer works to keep its competitive edge through the regulation change.

Bezzecchi is 42 points behind his Aprilia teammate in the 2026 title race. Although he will not be subject to team orders, the report suggests his stronger opportunity to fight for a championship may come in 2027. Aprilia, whose RS-GP has been among the strongest packages this season, is already pursuing new solutions for the next generation of bikes.

The manufacturer has a reputation for aerodynamic experimentation. It recently tested a new aero package at Jerez that could meet the 2027 rules, and its rider-operated device for improving airflow and straight-line speed remains an innovation rivals have not matched. Images of Bezzecchi’s prototype at Spielberg revealed another striking design, prompting journalist Mat Oxley to compare it to the Batmobile.

“Good old Marco de Luca and his team are working… there’s a lot of interesting aero stuff going on,” Oxley said on the Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast. He described the bike as looking “almost like an animal than a machine,” adding that, like the Batmobile, it was “not pretty” but “kind of cool.”

Podcast co-host Peter Bom drew attention to small aerodynamic features near the front of Bezzecchi’s left boot, identifying them as vortex generators intended to enhance ground effect. He said the components are already being used this year and could bring the bike closer to the track as it leans, strengthening that effect.

Bom also highlighted the potential risk. If the parts touch the ground, he explained, the ground effect can disappear, changing the bike’s behaviour abruptly. “This is a deadly accurate, but also almost deadly dangerous thing to have on your bike,” he said. He described the moment before contact as one in which the bike turns better, likening the sudden loss of effect once the parts touch down to a situation “like almost a highside.”