Aprilia and Ducati’s MotoGP bosses are sticking to a diplomatic if unconvincing line in the face of suggestions that the costly switch to 850cc engines for 2027 has already failed in terms of reducing corner speeds.
On Thursday, Massimo Rivola (Aprilia) and Gigi Dall’Igna (Ducati) appeared in a special press conference ahead of this weekend’s Indonesian Grand Prix. In it, they were asked for their thoughts about the millions being spent on developing supposedly slower bikes which, according to early indications, are already registering similar lap times to the current 1000cc machines.
Early tests of the new bikes have underlined the fact that the tyres are the determining factor in cornering performance, not engine capacity.
Rivola’s facial expression at the question suggested it had raised a point that had crossed his mind more than once already. But when it came to choosing his words, he was cautious.
“It’s better to look forward rather than backwards, since it’s done,” said the Aprilia CEO, preferring to focus on the fact that straightline speed should drop even if lap times don’t.
“Marco [Bezzecchi] and Jorge [Martin] did 368.6 km/h at Mugello and it’s quite a lot. So removing more or less 50 [horsepower] for sure is going to reduce that speed.
Michele Pirro, Ducati GP27 850cc
Photo by: GPOne
“From what we are seeing, as you say, lap time seems to be quite fast still. At the same time, the comment of the riders is that the bike is easier. So maybe they can handle a bit better and have some more savings at the same time.
“Also, we don’t know if the time will be the same over a race distance. In a single lap at the moment, the bikes seem to be quite fast. Maybe on some tracks very fast, in some others with less delta gap compared to the 1000cc.”
Dall’Igna, who responded to the question first, also mentioned the reduction in straightline speed as the primary safety benefit.
“Honestly speaking, I think that the main reason why we would like to reduce the performance is not the performance itself, but it’s the speed,” said Ducati’s general manager. “The speed that the riders arrive to the corner.
“And so for that reason, we would like to reduce the power of the engine and its capacity at the end.
“So I think even if the lap time was quite close to the 2026 lap time, I think that we can gain something in the safety. So honestly speaking, I think that this is a good idea. This is a step that we have to do.”
Pirelli, which takes over as tyre supplier for next season, could in theory still make adjustments to the performance level its rubber offers.
Rivola concluded his reply by highlighting that aspect: “Yeah, for sure, the tyre is a differentiating factor that is a bit unknown still.”
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