Phoenix 24
Jerez testing offers an early glimpse of MotoGP’s technological transformation.
JEREZ, Spain. Ducati has emerged as the fastest manufacturer in the latest private tests for MotoGP’s 2027 regulations, with Italian rider Nicolò Bulega setting the benchmark at the Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto. The results offer an encouraging early indication for Marc Márquez and Pedro Acosta, who are preparing to compete together for Ducati as the championship enters a new technical era.
Bulega recorded a fastest lap of 1:39.253 during the final day of testing on November 12, outperforming Aprilia and KTM as manufacturers continued developing their new 850cc motorcycles. The session followed a rain-affected opening day that limited meaningful comparisons between the competing prototypes.
Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori finished approximately three-tenths of a second behind Bulega, while KTM’s Pol Espargaró completed the leading group, around eight-tenths off the fastest time.
The results suggest that Ducati has established a promising starting point, although private testing times cannot reliably predict competitive performance. Different development programmes, fuel loads, tire strategies and track conditions can significantly influence lap times.
Bulega’s experience with Pirelli tires may also have contributed to his performance. The Italian manufacturer will replace Michelin as MotoGP’s official tire supplier in 2027, introducing another major adjustment for riders and engineers.
The forthcoming regulations will reduce engine capacity from 1,000cc to 850cc, restrict aerodynamic development and eliminate ride-height devices. These changes are intended to reshape motorcycle performance while addressing safety and competition concerns.
For Ducati, the transition represents an opportunity to preserve its technological advantage under substantially different conditions. Márquez and Acosta will need to adapt their riding styles to motorcycles expected to deliver different acceleration, braking and handling characteristics.
Aprilia’s competitive performance at Jerez suggests that the Italian manufacturer is also progressing with its development programme. KTM, meanwhile, continues evaluating the new platform as engineers prepare for the first collective test.
That official session is scheduled for December 1 at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo, where the 2027 rider lineups will have their first opportunity to evaluate the new machines together.
Further preseason testing will follow in Malaysia and Thailand before the championship begins in March.
The Jerez results provide an encouraging technical reference for Ducati, but the true competitive hierarchy will emerge only after the new motorcycles are evaluated under comparable conditions.
As MotoGP approaches one of its most substantial regulatory changes in decades, engineering adaptability may prove as important as outright speed.
Beyond the Headlines, the Engineering Reality.