Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1544637
Aprilia Heads Jerez Test A fter the Spanish GP, MotoGP resumed on Monday, July 26, with a one-day test at Circui - to de Jerez - Angel Nieto. Ducati was eager to improve their posi- tion against Aprilia, showcasing several updates, but the day also revealed various developments across the pit lane. Still, Aprilia dominated with a 1-2-3 finish at the top. By the end of the action, Ai Ogura was fastest with a 1:35.944, leading a Trackhouse MotoGP Team 1-2 after depos - ing teammate Raul Fernandez by just five-thousandths of a second. World Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) was third, ahead of Marc Marquez, who was back on track with the Ducati Lenovo Team after his Sunday crash. The reigning World Champion was shuffled back courtesy of Ogura's late lap. Marquez said he was working on the chassis, making some modifications and "interesting things." His main focus was on restoring the front feeling, which has been a key challenge for 2026. He also noted that the aero was beneficial in "some areas." Honda had a quiet day on the timesheets, concentrating on other areas and their cur - rent setup. The best Honda was veteran Johann Zarco (Castrol Honda LCR), who finished P9 after a solid weekend, while rookie teammate Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) was in P13, a positive sign after a challenging weekend. Moreira was the first rider to fall during the morning test, but he was unharmed. Yamaha continued to develop the V4-powered package and made other small updates. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) immediately went faster than his morning fastest lap and then knocked three-tenths off his weekend's best in the afternoon. Top Yamaha and in P7, Quartararo leaves Jerez on a positive note ahead of his home Grand Prix at Le Mans in two weeks' time. On the other side of the box, Alex Rins was a second off his team - mate's time and took P22. There was plenty of work going on in the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP outfit too, with Jack Miller leaving Jerez with the upper hand in that camp. He worked on trying to improve the front feel of his machine. Team - mate Toprak Razgatlioglu had a crash at turn three in the morning but was otherwise okay as he continued to try and adapt his riding style. Electronic work to improve engine braking was on his agenda, while both bikes were spotted with the rear-side aero WIND IN THE P24 Ai Ogura was the fastest at the Jerez MotoGP test on the Monday following the Jerez Grand Prix.