Podcast: The elephant in the room after Aprilia’s latest MotoGP triumph

Aprilia celebrated an historic 1-2-3 at the 2026 MotoGP French Grand Prix, as Jorge Martin scored a first win in two years.

A year on from trying to quit Aprilia at Le Mans, Jorge Martin stood on the top step of a grand prix podium for the first time with the brand last weekend.

It completed a double victory for Martin, who hadn’t won on a Sunday since the Indonesian Grand Prix on his way to the 2024 world title.

Coming from the third row of the grid to pass team-mate Marco Bezzecchi late on, it was a vintage display from a Martin who is well and truly a championship contender now.

With just one point separating Bezzecchi and Martin ahead of this weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix, Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola has a tough job on his hands to manage this brewing rivalry.

But this raises several uncomfortable scenarios for Aprilia.

Martin is set to leave the brand at the end of the year to join Yamaha. It’s not the first time he has gone for a title while heading for the exit.

Rivola says he won’t interfere with team orders, but Jorge Martin is in a position where he has nothing to lose and no real allegiances to maintain heading into 2027.

On top of that, the stunning podium for Ai Ogura and Trackhouse at Le Mans will surely herald the first of many for the Japanese rider.

But, he too is leaving Aprilia for Yamaha in 2027. In a position to score more podiums and even race wins at the expense of his Aprilia colleagues, Ogura and Trackhouse aren’t likely to take too kindly to any potential manufacturer orders.

Martin’s first win for Aprilia at the French Grand Prix also came as Pecco Bagnaia crashed out of the podium fight.

Bagnaia, by all accounts, is set to join Aprilia on a four-year deal from next year. Nobody could have predicted the market stalling the way it has when these deals were initially signed.

But it’s hard to imagine there not being a dose of regret in the Aprilia camp at the contrasting forms of Martin and Bagnaia right now.

On the latest Crash MotoGP Podcast, Dre Harrison is joined by Peter McLaren and Lewis Duncan to discuss Aprilia’s current form and its title headache after the French Grand Prix.

They also delve into Marc Marquez’s latest injury woes and what they mean for Ducati’s 2026 season and the reigning world champion’s future.