Red Bull Ring was always a disaster track for Aprilia’s RS-GP bike. Until the Noale factory team arrived in Austria last week, its best result there was last year’s fifth place with Maverick Viñales, a whopping 24 seconds behind winner Pecco Bagnaia. A deficit of almost a second a lap.
Stop-and-go circuits like Red Bull Ring have never been kind to the RS-GP, which has always excelled at more flowing circuits: its four MotoGP victories have been achieved at Termas de Rio Hondo, Silverstone, Catalunya and COTA.
On Saturday, Marco Bezzecchi snatched pole from Ducati, the first time in five years that the Bologna brand had lost the qualifying battle around the very particular Austrian layout. On Sunday, he rode the fastest lap and led the Grand Prix until two-thirds distance.
So, what’s changed?
The RS-GP’s biggest issue for many years has been its braking performance. The bike lost time decelerating into corners, which is a big problem because MotoGP bikes spend around a third of each lap on the brakes, so this is a hugely important area for lap times and race times.
“The way the Ducati slows down is unbelievable. We cannot stop like that”
“The negative of the bike is stopping performance,” then Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaró told me a couple of years ago. “The way the Ducati slows down is unbelievable. We cannot stop like that, even though we use bigger discs. I don’t know if Ducati stop by using aero or what, but we need to improve this.”
Aprilia did improve last year but has made a huge jump in recent months, thanks to improved machine balance, better engine-brake electronics set-up and so on.
The crucial target is to help the rider use the rear tyre to complement the front tyre on the brakes, but without using the rear so much in corner entry that the tyre gets too hot, so when the rider opens the throttle the tyre is too greasy, so it spins, which has a disastrous effect on acceleration and fuel consumption. Because wheelspin is a massive waste of fuel – lots of revs but you’re going nowhere.
Aldeguer (54) letting it all hang out as he prepares to attack Acosta
KTM
“To be honest, I told the team on Wednesday that top-five finishes in both races would be good for us,” said Aprilia’s race manager Paolo Bonora after Sunday’s race. “Because we know this track is very difficult for us, so to do a double top five [Bezzecchi was fourth in the sprint, less than a second off the podium] is a great result.
“Compared to last year we’ve worked a lot, particular in the hard-braking zone to make the bike more stable and more manageable, which helps the rider enter the corner with more confidence, so we’ve done a good job in this part of the track layout.
“Compared to 2024 we have also improved the acceleration phase. You can see in recent races that the bike is more stable and more manageable in this phase. This track is known for hard-braking and wheelspin from the corners. Especially with the special rear carcass [Red Bull Ring is one of several tracks where Michelin use a special heat-resistant rear slick which is less grippy than its usual rear], so the key is to manage rear grip and spin to keep tyre temperature under control and to use less fuel.
“In braking, the key is to use the front tyre and not stress the front tyre too much by also using the rear tyre in a good way. Because if you use the rear tyre too much in this phase you destroy the tyre and also you lose grip in the acceleration phase.”
Bezzecchi is rarely the most forthcoming rider, so when he was asked after the race how the Aprilia has improved, he simply said, “Forza Aprilia.”
The previous day he said, “The braking phase was difficult for us at the start of 2025, now it’s better and this is the biggest help.”
Team-mate Jorge Martin also had a good race, until he crashed. The reigning champion is still getting back into the swing of things after a series of injuries, but at one-third distance he was the fastest rider on track.
Aldeguer is MotoGP’s youngest rider, so his first dry-race podium was a big deal. Ducati say he has huge room to improve.
Gresini
“I’m still not taking the maximum from the bike,” said Martin. “But the bike is working really well, especially considering this is the worst track for us.”
KTM also showed signs of closing the gap to Ducati, with its four riders using an upper-fairing update that makes the bike turn better, allowing riders to use less rear tyre in this part of the corner, which obviously gives them more tyre for the end of the race.
Pedro Acosta rode like a demon all weekend, taking third in the sprint, behind the Márquez brothers, and fourth in the Grand Prix, after briefly holding third.
“Turning is much better with the new aero package – we’ve made a really, really big step,” he said.