The 2026 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was a masterclass from Aprilia, with three of its riders finishing in the top four and Jorge Martin extending his championship lead to over 30 points. But raw results don’t always tell the full story. Here’s our take on who really impressed, who underwhelmed, and who deserves the ‘MVP’ tag for the round.
Aprilia’s Trio: Martin, Fernandez, and Ogura
Jorge Martin was imperious for much of the weekend. He took pole position, won the sprint, and finished second in the grand prix, despite making two uncharacteristic mistakes at Abbey. The first came early when he tried too hard to hold the lead and failed to disengage the rear ride-height device; the second was a minor off-track moment while chasing Raul Fernandez. Still, Martin believes he has found a cure for his front-end confidence issues by reverting to an earlier season set-up, and with favorable tracks like Red Bull Ring, Mandalika, Phillip Island, and Sepang to come, his title hopes look brighter than ever.
Raul Fernandez, on the other hand, was the emotional standout. Despite a ‘very complicated’ collarbone injury and knee pain from a ‘big, big hole’ that required treatment, he qualified second and won the grand prix in commanding fashion. His sprint ended in a DNF after an over-eager move on Bezzechi, but he used Sunday morning warm-up brilliantly to understand the pace he could push. Cal Crutchlow said Fernandez ‘had more balls than everyone else,’ and he was in total control from the first metres. That he managed two podiums, given his physical state, nudges him ahead of Martin as our Aprilia MVP for the weekend.
Ai Ogura, the third Aprilia rider, showed promise but faltered. He was half a step behind his stablemates, yet used a tow from Acosta’s KTM to qualify third and took a sprint podium. But on Sunday, he aped Martin’s first-corner mistake, had a lowered ride-height device to contend with, and then crashed at Vale while pushing too hard. He lost valuable points, and his weekend was a missed opportunity.
KTM’s Bright Spot: Acosta and the Rest
Pedro Acosta continues to be the rider of the season. Despite two Friday crashes that nearly sent him to Q1, he was KTM’s top man in every session and delivered sixth and fifth place finishes in the sprint and grand prix. His race pace was as impressive as his one-lap speed, and he was the only KTM rider to make any real headway. Brad Binder, meanwhile, finished eighth after a strong drive from 18th on the grid, but he was 16 seconds behind Acosta on Sunday, highlighting the gulf between the two on the same bike.
Ducati’s Mixed Bag
Alex Marquez was the best of the Ducati riders, finishing fourth in the grand prix and fourth in the sprint. He had pace in the races but was hindered by a lack of qualifying improvement, a soft-tyre gamble in the sprint that backfired, and a ‘stupid, unacceptable’ mistake at Abbey after clearing Bezzechi. Fabio Di Giannantonio was next, finishing sixth in the grand prix, but he should have beaten Acosta had he not been picked off on the opening lap. He was the leading Ducati in qualifying, though, and his weekend was solid given his lingering injuries.
Marc Marquez had a weekend to forget. He qualified sixth, finished ninth in the sprint, and seventh in the grand prix, losing 22 points to Martin in the title race. He admitted his main limitation was ‘myself,’ and he hinted he still isn’t right physically or mentally. The alarm bells are ringing for the eight-time champion.
Yamaha and Honda: A Battle of Survival
Jack Miller was the top Yamaha scorer, finishing 12th, after a well-judged medium-tyre call in the sprint and benefiting from Fabio Quartararo’s penalty. Quartararo was likely the fastest Yamaha rider, but his Friday underperformance left him too far back, and a tyre sensor infringement cost him a points finish. For Honda, Luca Marini was the lead rider in ninth, with a dependable performance, while Diogo Moreira impressed again for the factory squad, finishing tenth.
The Rankings Verdict
Ranking riders isn’t just about where they finished. It’s about context, machinery, and expectation. Fernandez’s brave podium, Acosta’s consistency, and Martin’s title surge all deserve recognition. But for us, Fernandez’s weekend was the most impressive. To overcome injury and still dominate the grand prix takes something special. Aprilia may have had the best bike, but Fernandez had the best weekend.
