Aprilia mock Ducati with provocative message after dominant Mugello weekend
16:30, 01 Jun
0 Comments
Andrew McLarneyMotoGP Reporter
Andrew McLarney is a MotoGP reporter for GPBlog. With three years as a professional writer across the sports and video game industries, his early passion for combat sports evolved into a deep interest in UFC and eventually motorsport — with MotoGP becoming his primary focus. On top of that he is also an avid follower of MXGP and AMA Supercross as well as F1 and GT racing.
The Italian Grand Prix this past weekend in Mugello was billed as a derby for both Ducati and Aprilia, and it was the underdogs, the humble Noale factory, who made a big statement by toppling the 'Bologna Bullets' on their own home turf.
Mugello has acted as something of a celebratory event for Ducati in recent years as they have swept the podium for the last three years consecutively, but this year their position at the top of the MotoGP heirarchy has come under serious threat from fellow-Italians Aprilia.
As Aprilia have dominated the opening rounds of the 2026 season, scoring four 1-2 finishes in the first seven races, it has become clear that their bike has a significant cornering advantage over the rest of the competition, but perhaps the area where the most gains have been made this year are within the aero department.
Aprilia riders Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi currently lead the MotoGP championship (Photo: Red Bull Content Pool)
Aprilia's aero innovations making a difference
ADVERTISEMENT
A new 'DRS-style' aero solution implemented by Aprilia, which was reported on earlier in the year by GP Blog, seems to be offering a significant advantage to all four riders across the factory and satellite teams, and it has yet to be adopted by any rivals so far.
Another aero solution which Aprilia innovated last season, the so-called 'leg wings' on the rear of the bike, drew the ire of Ducati last year who campaigned to have the components banned altogether on safety grounds.
While the devices provide more cornering stability, they can also cause problems when riding close together with other riders. Ai Ogura's clipping of Pedro Acosta during their duel in Mugello was one example, and Acosta also got tangled in the leg wings of Bezzecchi's bike in the USA Grand Prix.
Aprilia mock Ducati with 'Scream' decal
At this year's Italian Grand Prix, where Aprilia once again delivered a 'slap in the face' to Ducati, veteran MotoGP journalist, author and paddock insider, Mat Oxley, noticed a strange detail which had been added to Marco Bezzecchi's leg wing.
ADVERTISEMENT
A decorative sticker inspired by Edvard Munch's famous 'scream' painting was plastered across the top, seemingly poking fun at Ducati's attempts to have the accessory banned.
Don’t miss GPblog in Google
Mark us as a preferred source and our articles will appear more often at the top of Top Stories.
Add as a preferred / source on GoogleRead more about:
latest news
Monaco Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 05.06.26
Practice 1
11:30 AM
Practice 2
03:00 PM
Saturday 06.06.26
Practice 3
10:30 AM
Qualification
02:00 PM
Sunday 07.06.26
Race
01:00 PM
Friday 05.06.26
Practice 1
Fri 11:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 03:00 PM
Saturday 06.06.26
Practice 3
Sat 10:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 02:00 PM
Sunday 07.06.26
Race
Sun 01:00 PM
Times are in your local timezone
Rumors
Popular on GPBlog
1
Moto2 and Moto3 2026 Standings after the Italian Grand Prix
1330 times read
2
Unique Monaco brings excitement: 'No more silly lift-and-coasting'
455 times read
3
Opening-lap carnage strikes GTWC Monza race in frightening pile-up
381 times read
4
Chaos in Monza: Brothers banned from paddock, pepper spray involved
369 times read
F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 131 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 88 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 75 | |
4 | FerrariFER | 72 | |
5 | McLarenMCL | 58 | |
6 | McLarenMCL | 48 | |
7 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 43 | |
8 | AlpineALP | 20 | |
9 | HaasHAA | 18 | |
10 | Racing BullsRCB | 16 |
Loading
