Zero doubt as experts pick MotoGP manufacturer who have nailed development path

Ducati have faced more and more competition from their rivals at the most recent MotoGP rounds.

Granted, the Italian manufacturer who have dominated the premier class for the past two years have fielded two fewer motorcycles on the grid in 2025.

But only having two bikes in the top 10 at the Czech MotoGP - for the first time in 66 races - hints at Ducati's rivals improving.

Yamaha, with two extra riders in a new satellite team, and Honda have shown major steps forward from the doldrums they were recently in.

KTM enjoyed their best round most recently at Brno, while Aprilia won at Silverstone.

Crash.net experts pick the one manufacturer who should be most pleased with their development path…

'Consistent speed at varied circuits'

Alex Whitworth: KTM and Aprilia both had solid races in Brno but only Aprilia has shown consistent podium speed over numerous races at varied circuits.

Austria will be a real test of the 2025 RS-GP and the way it has developed, as the Noale bike has generally struggled at that particular stop-start layout, but in general it has been Aprilia that has emerged as Ducati’s most likely challenger so far this year.

Having been missing their star rider all season, and for most of the preseason, it’s been a good opening half of the year for Aprilia, despite a difficult first few rounds.

Peter McLaren: Aprilia. They were last in the constructors’ standings after Jerez and have been without star signing Jorge Martin, who was supposed to lead development, for most of the season – but have bounced back strongly.

Marco Bezzecchi has stepped up in style as team leader, taking Aprilia to victory at Silverstone and claiming regular podiums in recent rounds. They are also now second in the constructors' standings behind only Ducati. 

Credit must also go to Fabiano Sterlacchini, who is new to the technical director role this year after Romano Albesiano departed for Honda.

Lewis Duncan: Every manufacturer looks to have been able to take a step forward relative to Ducati this season, though none look to be as consistently competitive after the opening half of the campaign as Aprilia has.

The Italian manufacturer has had arguably the hardest season of any of the brands, having missed world champion Jorge Martin for most of this year and trying to forge ahead with a fresh face in Marco Bezzecchi.

But its victory at the British Grand Prix, albeit slightly fortunate due to Fabio Quartararo’s mechanical dramas, was very much proof that Aprilia has not only a good rider in its ranks but a solid package.

On his return to racing, Martin remarked that the RS-GP was a clear step forward from the bike he briefly rode in the Qatar Grand Prix before injuring himself again. In recent rounds, Aprilia appears to have cured its one-lap issues while maintaining its strong race pace.

As such, Bezzecchi won at Silverstone, was on the podium in both races at Assen, on course for another grand prix rostrum in Germany before a crash and was second in Czechia in the main race.

It took KTM until Czechia to get onto the podium, and how much of that was a result of the ultra-grippy asphalt remains to be seen. Honda and Yamaha have shown flashes of speed, but remain too inconsistent.

'Stayed true to philosophy', did not copy Ducati

Derry Munikartono: Aprilia, obviously. Japanese manufacturers might have made such visible, and tangible progress in 2025, but Aprilia is in better position to fight for the top. After years of lingering just outside the top tier, Aprilia has finally broken through as a genuine contender—not just in flashes, but week in and week out. 

The RS-GP has evolved into one of the most complete packages on the grid: agile, balanced, and increasingly adaptable across a variety of circuits. Their technical leap is evident in the performances of Marco Bezzecchi, who’s emerged as a consistent podium threat and even a race winner, despite being new to the team. Even with Jorge Martin missing much of the season due to injury, Aprilia hasn’t stalled; in fact, Bezzecchi has played a central role in guiding the bike's development forward.

What’s particularly impressive is how Aprilia managed to close the gap to Ducati without mimicking them entirely. 

They've stayed true to their engineering philosophy—developing aero which has been their strongest point even compared to Ducati. With Martin now back in action and expected to ramp up his pace, Aprilia’s trajectory only looks stronger. Among all the manufacturers, Aprilia stands out not just for their results, but for how close they are to the dominant Ducati.

Jordan Moreland: Aprilia, they've identified themselves as the 2nd best in MotoGP, after a really tough start to the season. Securing Martin's future and getting him to believe in the project has been a big win for the brand. Bezzecchi has been outstanding for them, a real asset that they can be proud of.