MotoGP Jerez 2026: Aprilia favourite, Ducati on the attack in the Spanish GP

JEREZ – The World Championship fires up its engines again in Europe with one of the most eagerly awaited events of the season: the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez. A weekend that already represents an early turning point for the MotoGP 2026 championship, with Marco Bezzecchi leading the standings and an Aprilia Racing team that has impressed for consistency and performance.

On the other side, Ducati arrives in Andalusia with the need to raise its game, relying on the experience and talent of its best men to reopen the battle immediately.

Aprilia leads the World Championship: Bezzecchi and Martín aim to confirm themselves

The start of the season has told a clear story: Aprilia is the bike to beat. Three consecutive victories have propelled Bezzecchi into the lead of the world championship, with team-mate Jorge Martín immediately behind him.

In the press conference, the Italian rider kept a low profile, but was aware of the strength of the technical package:

“We have started very well, but every race is different. Jerez is a technical circuit, precision will be needed in every detail.”

Martín, meanwhile, highlighted the team's positive moment, without hiding his ambitions:

“The bike is competitive on every track and that gives us confidence. We have to keep going in this direction.”

The feeling is that Aprilia arrives in Jerez as the favourite, but also with the pressure of having to confirm the extraordinary form shown in the opening races.

Ducati seeks the breakthrough: Bagnaia and Márquez want to respond

If Aprilia is smiling, Ducati is being called upon to react. The potential is there, but the results so far have not been up to expectations.

Francesco Bagnaia has pointed to Jerez as a possible turning point:

“We know we did not start as we wanted, but this is a circuit that suits my style well. We can make an important step forward.”

Alongside him, Marc Márquez has sent a clear message to the competition:

“Aprilia is ahead, but the championship is long. We need to start winning and we want to do it here.”

In the Ducati pits there is an air of determination: the aim is to halt Aprilia's dominance and immediately reopen the title fight.

The outsiders: watch out for surprises in Jerez

Behind the two giants, MotoGP 2026 remains extremely balanced. Young talents and emerging teams are ready to join the fight at the top.

Among the most eagerly awaited names is Pedro Acosta, increasingly convincing with KTM, while Fabio Di Giannantonio is looking for consistency with the VR46 team.

The Jerez circuit, with its technical corners and demanding braking zones, provides an ideal test bed to showcase talent and riding feel. And it is precisely here that unexpected protagonists often emerge.

MotoGP Jerez 2026 schedule: full TV and weekend programme

The Spanish Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sport and streamed on NOW, with full coverage of all sessions. Some sessions will also be available on TV8.

Friday 24 April

09:00 Moto3 Free Practice 1

09:50 Moto2 Free Practice 1

10:45 MotoGP Free Practice 1

13:15 Moto3 Practice

14:05 Moto2 Practice

15:00 MotoGP Practice

Saturday 25 April

10:50 MotoGP Qualifying

15:00 MotoGP Sprint Race

Sunday 26 April

11:00 Moto3 Race

12:15 Moto2 Race

14:00 MotoGP Race

On TV8:

Saturday qualifying and Sprint live

Sunday races delayed, with MotoGP in the afternoon

MotoGP Jerez: a race that can change the championship

The Jerez Grand Prix is never an ordinary race. It is the first real European event, the one in which the balance of power begins to settle and the hierarchy becomes clearer.

Aprilia arrives with the momentum of the results and the weight of favouritism. Ducati, instead, needs to respond immediately so as not to let the championship take a direction that will be hard to recover.

From tomorrow, however, only the lap times and race management will count. And on a circuit like Jerez, the truth always emerges without filters.