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Ducati Faces Paddock Pressure After Aprilia Silverstone Domination
Aprilia locked out the podium at Silverstone as Ducati struggled with high tyre graining and a lack of outright pace across the British Grand Prix weekend.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-08-10 07:21:58.000 - 2 min read
Aprilia delivered a commanding performance at the British Grand Prix, locking out the entire podium in a weekend that underscored a growing competitive concern for Ducati. Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez claimed a dominant grand prix victory after capitalising on a start issue for polesitter Jorge Martin, while factory rider Marco Bezzecchi battled through physical pain to secure a pair of third-place finishes. The result extended Martin's championship lead to 31 points over Bezzecchi, with Marc Marquez slipping 40 points adrift of the summit.
The fast and flowing layout of Silverstone played directly to the strengths of the Aprilia RS-GP, which excels in corner speed and agility. Conversely, Ducati suffered a weekend reminiscent of its difficult outing at Assen, struggling with severe rear tyre graining on the soft compound during the sprint race and lacking overall speed compared to its Italian rival. While the GP26 performs strongly on stop-and-go layouts, its requirement to use the rear to turn exposes the machine to harsher tyre drop when track conditions are fragile.
Ducati riders faced varied fortunes and physical limitations throughout the weekend. Gresini's Alex Marquez emerged as the highest-placed Ducati in fourth during the grand prix, praising his own smooth riding style through fast corners, though VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio conceded that his attempts to preserve the rear tyre ultimately destroyed his front rubber on the way to sixth. Marc Marquez managed only seventh in the grand prix after battling physical endurance limitations in his right arm and shoulder, taking full responsibility for his pace deficit.
Despite the clear performance gap at Silverstone, the championship picture remains volatile as the series heads towards more favourable territory for Ducati. Aprilia management remains cautious about the title fight despite their riders' resilience, while Ducati prepares for a crucial test at Aragon where the anti-clockwise layout is expected to alter the balance of power back toward the reigning champions.