Aprilia showcased similar livery for 2026 MotoGP season, but with the theme of lion, as Ferdinand Habsburg stays with Alpine in WEC.
Aprilia Racing officially unveiled the Aprilia RS-GP26, entrusted for the second year in a row to Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín for the 2026 MotoGP season. The proudly Italian bike has a strong technological and sport identity which represents the cutting edge of a continuously developing project. The big change for the RS-GP26 livery, which maintains the iconic Aprilia Racing colours, is the presence of a noble symbol from our history – the lion which is part of Aprilia Racing’s DNA.
Besides representing the strong ties with the territory, the Leone Alato – symbol of Venice, located just a few kilometres from Aprilia Racing headquarters in Noale – embodies values which fully reflect the identity of the team and its riders: power, strength, determination, and courage. It is the emblem of a team that never gives up, capable of stubbornly tackling difficulties and re-emerging even stronger and more steadfast.
The goal for 2026 is to improve on the results from last season, the most victorious ever for Aprilia Racing, ending with second place in the Manufacturers Championship at 418 points, breaking the 400 barrier for the first time in its history, and third place in the Riders Championship with Marco Bezzecchi at 353 points – the best result ever for a rider in Aprilia Racing’s MotoGP history. Adding to this are numerous impressive statistics: 19 podiums in all, with 3 sprint race wins and 4 long race wins, 5 pole positions to tie the previous record, and the 300th win for the Noale-based manufacturer in the Australian GP. This milestone, which later increased to 302, confirmed Aprilia Racing as the most victorious European manufacturer in the history of World Motorcycle Grand Prix Racing.
Defending the colours for the manufacturer from Noale in the 2026 season will be Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín. In 2025, the Italian rider was the protagonist of an extremely high-level season which placed him third overall in the Riders World Championship standings, with a performance that consecrated him as the best rider in Aprilia Racing history. Bezzecchi is approaching 2026 with the goal of reconfirming his status at the top of the category and continuing the upward trend begun with the team.
Jorge Martín, who will be on track with number 89 on his front fairing, is preparing to tackle a new season after a 2025 conditioned by injuries. For the Spanish rider, 2026 represents the start of a new chapter, which he is facing with determination and the desire to fully express his potential. Supporting the factory riders, Lorenzo Savadori is confirmed as tester, after his immense contribution in recent years to the development and growth of the RS-GP.
Aprilia RS-GP26 represents an important evolution for Aprilia Racing’s MotoGP project. Each detail has been redesigned in order to be able to battle at top levels and consolidate Aprilia Racing’s position among the protagonists of MotoGP. Every area of the bike has been improved, from the further refined aerodynamics to the chassis architecture and all the way to the electronics and V4 engine, which underwent extensive development in every component not restricted by championship regulations. The technical office in Noale, led by Fabiano Sterlacchini, tackled this new challenge remaining faithful to their DNA and developing a bike that makes innovation an indispensable anchor of their vision.
The RS-GP26 will also be the latest evolution of a technical cycle which has placed the fastest bikes in MotoGP history on the track, thanks to extreme aerodynamics, ride height devices, and 1000cc engines which will no longer be permitted by the technical regulations from 2027. For these reasons, the RS-GP26 will be the fastest prototype ever built in Aprilia Racing history. Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martín will continue to be able to count on a solid and united team, with the support of official tester Lorenzo Savadori and Trackhouse MotoGP Team, with Raúl Fernández and Ai Ogura. The Trackhouse project, conceived as a strategic partner and not as a simple satellite team, continues to represent a fundamental resource for the continued development of the RS-GP, providing invaluable data and contributing to the innovation process.
MARCO BEZZECCHI: “I’m happy to finally be getting back to talking about bikes. I am anxious to start and we have a lot of work to do, although we never really stopped. In Noale, the company is working intensely and I have been training constantly. I am highly motivated and I can’t wait to have fun in the saddle. The 2025 season finale was extremely positive and that boosts our confidence even more. The goal is to start the season straight away in the best possible way and to continue doing a good job.”
JORGE MARTÍN: “After our experience last year along with Aprilia and the latest extremely important tests in Valencia, the goal now is to keep growing together. I’m sure there will be a lot of work to do at the start of the season, but we are well aware of where we need to improve. This will be a year where I want to get back to battling for the top spots and winning. As soon as I am at 100% fitness, we’ll be ready for anything.”
LORENZO SAVADORI: “I can’t wait for 2026 to begin. The primary objective is to continue improving the bike, advancing the work and the path we began in 2025, in order to see Aprilia consistently at the front. I’ll be riding in a few wild-card spots throughout the season, and I’ll be giving it my all to contribute to developing the RS-GP26. In addition to all this, around April, we’ll also begin working and developing in view of 2027.”
MASSIMO RIVOLA, CEO APRILIA RACING: “We’re tackling the 2026 season well aware of what we are and where we want to be. We are coming from a solid 2025 which allowed us to reach an extremely high level of competitiveness, and the goal now is to battle in every race. We’ll be following two different paths in the garage. On one side, we’re keen to pick up from the same level where we left off at the end of last season with Marco, and on the other, we’ll be building a lot with Jorge. We believe very much in the RS-GP26 and we maintain that it has great potential, as do our riders.”
Here’s launch video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg1WCgAhKd8
Other news –
Ferdinand Habsburg remains with Alpine in WEC: https://www.fiawec.com/en/news/habsburg-hoping-to-hit-the-high-notes-with-alpine-again-in-2026/8612
MotoGP 2026 reveals so far –
[The story is as per press release]
