Ducati’s dominance at the Argentina MotoGP may face a serious challenge, with Aprilia emerging as their biggest threat.
Ducati started the 2025 season strong, with Marc Marquez delivering a flawless performance at the Thailand Grand Prix. He was joined on the podium by his brother Alex Marquez and reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia, completing a Ducati sweep.
However, as the series heads to Argentina, analysts warn that Aprilia could disrupt Ducati’s momentum.
Marco Bezzecchi, now riding for Aprilia’s factory team, won the 2023 Argentina MotoGP while racing for VR46 Ducati and previously claimed victory at the same track in Moto3. Rookie Ai Ogura also impressed in Thailand and could pose another challenge, even though Aprilia’s leading rider Jorge Martin remains sidelined due to injury.
Speaking on the Crash MotoGP podcast, journalist Lewis Duncan highlighted Aprilia’s strengths. “The Aprilia generally performs well in these conditions,” he explained. “It has a strong front end and is an agile bike. Aprilia is clearly making progress.”
Duncan noted that Bezzecchi had a solid debut weekend on the Aprilia but still needs to improve his qualifying performance. “He’s still adjusting to the bike after years on a Ducati,” he said. “Seventh on the grid in Thailand wasn’t bad considering he’s still finding the bike’s limits.”
The first day of practice in Argentina will be crucial, according to Duncan. “Friday is always tough because of track conditions. If you start strong, you’re halfway there. But if you struggle, you’ll be playing catch-up through the weekend.”
Meanwhile, Yamaha showed promise during pre-season testing but fell short in Thailand. Duncan believes Argentina could offer a better reflection of their true potential.
“We return to the normal rear tyre carcass in Argentina, which should help them,” he said. “If Yamaha can fine-tune their front end, they could be more competitive. Thailand was disappointing, but Argentina will reveal whether it was a one-off or if deeper issues remain.”
Honda, last year’s weakest manufacturer, showed signs of progress with Johann Zarco finishing seventh in Thailand. Duncan suggested that upcoming races in Austin and Jerez may better suit Honda’s bike.
“Honda lacks traction and top speed, but they were surprisingly competitive in Thailand,” Duncan said. “Argentina will provide more insight into where they stand, though the track’s unique characteristics may complicate the picture.”
As the MotoGP grid prepares for Argentina, all eyes will be on whether Ducati can maintain their dominance—or if Aprilia will deliver a major upset.
