Jorge Lorenzo judged early in the season that Aprilia had an RS-GP capable of fighting for the 2026 MotoGP title. He made that prediction before a racing lap had been completed, during coffee with Aprilia technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini at Buriram.

The three-time premier-class champion attached one decisive condition to his assessment: Marco Bezzecchi needed to remain mistake-free and finish every race. Lorenzo praised Aprilia’s ability to carry more lean than Ducati, its low weight and its exceptional cornering behaviour. In his technical view, Aprilia had the superior motorcycle.

The season then moved away from that projected outcome. Bezzecchi crashed out of the opening Sprint, and other major incidents followed. Marc Márquez recovered a 102-point deficit to the Italian by Aragón. Before the final two rounds, Márquez led Jorge Martín by 60 points and held a 74-point advantage over Bezzecchi.

Lorenzo ultimately placed the emphasis on the rider rather than the machine. Although he considered Aprilia technically better than Ducati, he viewed Márquez as operating at another level. Their history gives that judgement added context: Lorenzo lost the 2013 championship to the then-rookie Márquez at the final round. In 2015, however, Lorenzo won the title, while Márquez finished third behind Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi’s Yamahas.