Aprilia boss hits back at Marc Marquez team orders jab: ‘They play games at home’

Massimo Rivola has accused Marc Marquez and Ducati of ‘playing games at home’ in response to a remark the Spaniard made about MotoGP team orders at Aprilia.

Aprilia has faced questions over the use of team orders for weeks as it looks to win its first world title in MotoGP.

The subject was brought up after the sprint at the Malaysian Grand Prix, when Marco Bezzecchi passed Ai Ogura late on for third. The pair also collided in the main race.

Speaking to DAZN, Marquez said: “Ogura was trying to stay in front of me because otherwise he knew he would lose the podium; he can’t stay between me and Bezzecchi, otherwise he’ll take points away from him.”

“What Marc says doesn’t interest me”

Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola seemingly didn’t take kindly to those words, however, as he sniped back at Marquez by suggesting Ducati team orders begin within his own family.

“What Marc says doesn’t really interest me that much, honestly,” he told DAZN.

“Also because I think they play team games for at home, with their family.”

Rivola was referencing the Phillip Island sprint, when Alex Marquez admitted he wasn’t going to make a risky move on his older brother for the win.

Had he done so and won, Marc Marquez would have left Australia seven points ahead of Aprilia’s Jorge Martin instead of 10 points.

Marquez’s lead has now grown to 44, following victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix, as Martin withdrew due to a wrist injury.

Bezzecchi is 67 points behind Marquez, with the Ducati rider able to win the title in Qatar this weekend.

“We must respect riders”

Ducati’s Gigi Dall’Igna weighed in on the team orders drama, outlining what the brand has told its riders.

“This is a sport and, first of all, we must respect all the riders who race and risk their lives on motorbikes,” Dall’Igna told DAZN.

“It's clear that the manufacturers can ask for something, but they must stop where respect for the person, for the rider, begins.

“We've done this; Marc and Alex are brothers, so it probably makes everything easier.

“What we tell our riders is not to get into trouble with riders of the same brand, and so far, apart from the start of the championship, everything has gone very smoothly.”