Ducati tests new aero solution to counter Aprilia invention

The opening round of the season in Thailand taught us that Aprilia have made huge progress compared to last year, and even appear to have surpassed Ducati's performance by taking four of the top five spots at the end of the race.

While the conditions of the circuit were extremely hot and riders were running a slightly alterd harder-casing on the tyres which won't be common throughout the entirety of the season, Aprilia's strong showing has certainly put Ducati on notice, with team boss Davide Tardozzi describing the weekend as a 'slap in the face'.

The weekend was the first time in 88 races that Ducati have failed to score a podium, with Fabio Di Giannantonio finishing highest for VR46 in sixth place.

Test rider Michele Pirro, who acted as a stand-in for the injured Fermin Aldeguer in Thailand, recently took part in a test in Jerez to try out some alterations for next season's "GP27".

The new 850cc engines are expected to be lighter and more nimble than the current 1000cc, but the dramatic regulation changes will mean that teams have a lot of components to adapt if they want to stay ahead of the curve.

In addition to their 2027 adjustments, it is also believed that Ducati were working on a solution to counter Aprilia's recent aero innovation in which riders could redirect the flow of air through the back of the bike by using their elbows to close vents on the straights.

The effect is believed to have a positive effect on both overall straight-line speed as well as the rider's ability to corner smoothly when the air duct is opened again.

Honda were also seen testing their 2027 prototye in Sepang with Taka Nakagami, though with a damp circuit his lap times provided little to analyze.