Aprilia makes team orders position clear in MotoGP title fight
Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola says team orders will not arise while Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi both retain a mathematical title chance.
Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola says team orders are off the table while both factory riders remain mathematically in contention for the 2026 MotoGP title.
Jorge Martin regained the world championship lead at the Red Bull Ring, moving 12 points clear of Ducati’s reigning champion Marc Marquez.
Team-mate Marco Bezzecchi also claimed a double podium in Austria but has now slipped 42 points behind Martin in third.
However, with seven rounds and a possible 259 points still available, the Italian remains firmly in the title hunt.
"Math on their side"
Asked if Aprilia could reach a point where one rider is asked to give ground to the other, Rivola told Sky Italia:
"I don't think so. I mean, as long as the riders have the math on their side, it's right to give them a chance to compete.
“And I hope both of my riders have the math on their side until the last race, so I don't think so."
Although Martin is narrowly ahead in the riders’ title and Aprilia in the constructors’ standings, former world championship leader Bezzecchi had been a huge 102 points clear of Marquez earlier in the season.
"The first rule is to look forward and not back,” Rivola said. “We're less accustomed than others to being at the top, so we can't forget this, we can't get too excited about a good result.
“We know that until we get it home, we've done nothing. The others have already done it, it's up to us, and we need to keep our feet firmly on the ground.
“The bike is definitely there, the riders are very strong, and so are our rivals, we'll fight for it."
"Watch out" for Pedro Acosta
Those rivals include KTM’s Red Bull Ring winner Pedro Acosta, who is 72 points behind Martin and 30 behind Bezzecchi heading into next weekend’s Japanese MotoGP.
“I have to say it's going to be a fantastic world championship because Marquez is always Marquez, and then there's Pedro. Watch out, because Pedro is there,” Rivola said.
“He's coming in really motivated, he's gained confidence, and when you win a race, you gain even more confidence, so for me it's a really great world championship."
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
