Rivola reveals why Aprilia are yet to test 2027 bike as rivals push ahead

Currently the dominant force in MotoGP, Aprilia have won each of the opening three rounds and secured 1-2 finishes at both the Brazilian and USA Grand Prixs. However, while Aprilia is firmly in control of 2026 so far, it seems that their rivals have already turned their attention to 2027.

With a dramatic set of regulation changes set to take effect next year, manufacturers are already in a competitive development war and looking to gain an early advantage. So far, KTM, Yamaha, Honda and Ducati have all put their 850cc engines to the test. Early signs have been postive for Honda, who believe they already have a 'rocket ship' on their hands. Meanwhile Ducati have also recently been spotted testing their 850cc bike in Misano.

In a recent interview with Motorsport.com Italy, Aprilia's Massimo Rivola explained why Aprilia is in 'no hurry' to put their bike to the test, and doesn't want to reveal its 'secrets' too early:

"We’re definitely not in a hurry — and not because we don’t care about 2027. Simply put, we’re not in a rush," Rivola told the Italian outlet, "After the Jerez week, in a private test, we’ll start running the 2027 bike on track, but it’s more of a hybrid prototype to gather some data on engine management and correlation with the dyno."

"We’re not in a hurry partly because we don’t want to reveal our cards, but also because one of Aprilia’s strengths today is - let’s say it in a cool way - ‘time to market’. From the moment we have an idea to when we put it on track, we’re very fast. That’s one of the secrets of performance in anything: speed in decision-making and execution."

"Every year, I’ve always said our best bike would be the next one, simply because I’ve always seen a growing company. And if the company grows, the result - our bike - will inevitably be better than the previous year."