Aprilia placed four bikes in the top six positions in Japan
Milan, 05 October 2026 – Aprilia Racing, the Piaggio Group’s (PIA.MI) racing team, finished the MotoGP race at Motegi with another one-two finish in the main race.
Starting from pole position, Jorge Martín maintained a good pace throughout the race to finish second. This is Aprilia Racing’s first-ever top-class podium at Motegi. This result also keeps the Spanish rider at the top of the championship, on 333 points.
Marco Bezzecchi got the start he needed from fourth on the grid, immediately moving into third and holding the position to the finish. This result puts two Aprilia’s RS-GPs on the Japanese GP podium for the first time in the manufacturer’s history. This is the Aprilia Racing team’s seventh double podium finish in the 2026 MotoGP Championship.
Also worth noting are the results of the two SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team riders, Raúl Fernández fifth and Ai Ogura sixth, which meant Aprilia ended Sunday at Motegi with four RS-GP26s in the top six.
JORGE MARTÍN
“I’m very happy because we’ve done a great job. I rode very well and kept a very strong pace right to the end. I tried to push right up to the final lap, but Márquez had something extra. I feel privileged to be leading the championship while battling Marc. I think it’s incredible, considering where I was a year ago. I’m very happy. Aprilia and I are doing a great job together, and I feel good on the bike. We have everything we need to fight right to the end.”
MARCO BEZZECCHI
“I gave it everything in today’s race and came away with the best possible result. It was a really hard-earned podium, as Bastianini was very quick, especially towards the end. It was tough to keep him behind, but I enjoyed it and I’m happy with the result. I really wanted to make up for what happened yesterday. Since the injury, I’ve had to build up day by day at almost every weekend, while Jorge and Marc have been a little faster. Now I have to close that gap and take my chances when they come”
MASSIMO RIVOLA
“An intense weekend in which Aprilia set more records, including Jorge’s pole lap and our first-ever double podium in a race in Japan. Jorge was second on track in both the Grand Prix and the sprint, although an imaginative reading of the regulations cost him a place in the short race. Marco was also very consistent and fast, but unfortunately lost out in the sprint to a pace on the medium that was strangely much slower than in the second free practice session. There was clearly a safety issue in the sprint. Aprilia pushed harder than others to bring it to light, pressing for action to be taken. Those changes then meant every team ran the hard rear, and I think that gave us a wonderful race, run in complete safety. Now we need to keep that focus and keep giving our best.”
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