MILAN – After another two weeks without a world championship event, MotoGP returns to the track for the Aragon Grand Prix with Ducati theoretically the favorite over the thus far dominant Aprilia (just remember the Silverstone podium that the Noale-based manufacturer swept aside). The dominant theme at the challenging Alcañiz circuit, however, seems to be the less-than-perfect physical condition of nearly all the main riders, with perhaps only the championship leader Jorge Martin. From Marc Marquez to his brother Alex, from Marco Bezzecchi to Pecco Bagnaia, no one is at their best. And one has already been forced to withdraw: Ai Ogura.
The Japanese rider, the revelation of 2026 and a former winner at the iconic Assen circuit, will miss Aragon due to a fractured thumb on his left hand and will be replaced by his "usual" Lorenzo Savadori. Ogura is aiming to return at Misano Adriatico, but in the meantime, Aprilia has lost one of its most important assets on a track that is among Marc Márquez's favorites. The Catalan champion has already won eight times at Motorland Alcañiz, including twice in the last two years. But the Ducati rider's struggles from the beginning of the month are still very much alive: "At Silverstone, I wasn't able to ride as well as I could. I was hoping my condition would be better, but evidently that wasn't the case. I gave it my all on Friday, but then I realized I couldn't maintain that pace all weekend. I'll be more careful this time, even though I expect things to go better. This is partly because there are a lot of left-hand turns, which is perfect for my riding style, but also because of the problems I have with my right arm. And if I want to stay in contention for the title I have to win.".
Marco Bezzecchi, who returned to the podium in Great Britain after four points-less races, is also cautious. He knows the storm hasn't completely died down yet. "My shoulder is healing well, but my left knee is still causing me a lot of pain," he admitted. "I'd need a lot more time to get over it all, and riding on it certainly doesn't help. But I gave it my all at Silverstone, and I'll do it here too. Of course, I'd like another podium, especially since I love this track. But we'll have to try to survive and get as much as we can, because Marquez and the other Ducatis will be strong here." His teammate, Jorge Martin, also expects to struggle against his rivals: "Marc is very strong here; we could consider him the undisputed master of Motorland Aragon. Then, when you race counterclockwise, he's always very difficult to beat. We'll try, especially because Aprilia is improving with every race. But in this one, it would already be a good result to fight on equal terms with him." Pecco Bagnaia also believes this, finally showing some optimism after a disastrous year and a half: "My hand is still very swollen. Luckily, here we turn more to the left, and the discomfort should be less. We also have an advantage over our rivals here, and we need to exploit it. We'll be fast.".
