machines: Aprilia and (gasp)
Honda.
Aprilia is not so surprising.
The RS-GP is the only bike other
than Ducati to have won any dry
races since Brad Binder's Jerez
Sprint win for KTM way back in
April 2023.
Note dry races, because of
Johann Zarco's thrilling Honda
win in a topsy-turvy wet French
GP. That was a triumph of tacti
-
cal gambling and controlled risk
rather
than any machine advan-
tage. But still a win, Honda's first
since
two weeks before Binder's
Spanish victory, when Rins won
in the USA.
When conditions are equal,
however, only Aprilia has actu
-
ally—now and then—shown the
Ducatis
the way home. Especial-
ly at fast, rhythmic tracks: COTA,
Silverstone
and Catalunya.
Elsewhere, and especially in hot
conditions, erratic results have
T
he closing rounds of an
epic 2025 season may
come trailing in after the
main event, Marc Marquez's
inspiring comeback champion-
ship. But they have the potential
to
be quite interesting, all the
same.
But only if early signs in the
post-summer season actually
mean something.
Namely, the growing strength
of at least two of Ducati's rival
P134
CN II IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
Honda, and others, are making up ground
and putting the squeeze on Ducati.
MARGINAL GAINS,
BIG RESULTS
