Saturday at the Italian MotoGP began with a bang as Jorge Martin broke the all-time official MotoGP top speed record during the opening minutes of final practice.
The factory Aprilia rider was clocked at 368.6km/h (229.0mph) along MotoGP’s fastest straight.
That beat the previous official record of 366.1km/h (227.5mph), set by Brad Binder at Mugello in 2023, then matched by fellow KTM rider Pol Espargaro the following year.
Underlining Aprilia’s straight-line performance, Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura also matched the old 366.1km/h benchmark on Saturday morning.
Jorge Martin, 2026 Italian MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
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“One of the targets we had”
“For sure it’s one of the targets we had!” Aprilia technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini told MotoGP pit lane reporter Jack Appleyard.
“It’s exciting to reach the highest speed ever, and thanks to everyone in the company.
“It’s a combination of engine and aerodynamics working in synergy, plus the exit from the final corner with the electronics.
Jorge Martin, 2026 Italian MotoGP.
© Gold and Goose
“We’ll see what happens for the rest of the weekend, because with a slipstream in the races it’s possible to go another 2km/h faster.”
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Top speed records this weekend are set to last, since it is the final appearance for 1000cc machines at Mugello before smaller 850cc powerplants are introduced – to reduce performance – in 2027.
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