Aprilia has admitted that it is weighing up “directive guidelines” to strengthen its championship chances against Ducati, but insists its riders remain free to race for now.
The Noale-based manufacturer celebrated a historic 1-2-3-4 finish at the Indonesian Grand Prix, with factory rider Marco Bezzecchi taking the win after a long duel with the satellite Trackhouse bike of Raul Fernandez.
But even as Aprilia dominated Sunday’s race, it is having to pull out all the stops to outgun Ducati in a title battle that has swung back and forth between the two brands this season.
After the Mandalika event Jorge Martin holds a narrow two-point lead in the standings over Marc Marquez, with Bezzecchi 46 points behind in third after a tough summer during which he earned a race ban and injured both his knee and collarbone.
With Marquez capitalising on every mistake Aprilia makes, the manufacturer is aware that it may have to put all its weight behind Martin in the title fight. That would mean prioritising a rider who is leaving for rival Yamaha next season over Bezzecchi, who is seen as the long-term future of the team.
With five rounds still remaining, Aprilia said it will continue to support both Bezzecchi and Martin equally. But it also revealed that it is considering imposing manufacturer orders to ensure it doesn’t squander its best opportunity to win a world championship.
"It's good to have this kind of problem, to manage the situation. For the moment, as our CEO Massimo [Rivola] declared, it is completely free,” Aprilia technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini said.
“[But] clearly, we start to discuss between us to put some directive guidelines to avoid problems.”
Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
Sterlacchini explained that while there is no imminent need for such orders, Aprilia may have to soon establish a clear set of guidelines to ensure that its quartet of riders do not compromise each other.
Much like in the riders’ championship, Aprilia is facing a tough fight for the manufacturers’ crown, with just 12 points separating the two ahead of the Australian GP in a fortnight.
“We haven’t set a deadline, but between now and a few races from here, the time may come to have a discussion with Massimo and define a team strategy with no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’,” he said.
“We’re quite a long way off at the moment, there are a lot of points up for grabs, and anything can happen. We feel comfortable allowing freedom for now, but I don’t know for how long.”
The need for manufacturer orders was felt after Saturday’s sprint race in which both Raul Fernandez and Bezzecchi retired after getting caught up in the opening lap melee. The incident, together with Martin’s troubles later, handed a victory to Aprilia’s chief rival Marquez.
Sterlacchini said that while blanket instructions from the pit wall could help, the sprint showed that risks remain whenever multiple riders from the same manufacturer are fighting on track.
“Unfortunately, we saw that due to the accident of Saturday, it's a part of the game. And even though you are trying to clarify the role, the possibility and the risk, sometimes some things can happen.”
Following Saturday’s crash, Fernandez lashed out at Bezzecchi for acting in an “unprofessional manner” and focusing more on him than the rival Ducatis under braking for Turn 1.
Sterlacchini revealed that Aprilia held clear-the-air talks before Sunday’s race to avoid tensions from further building up within the team.
"Everything is difficult; here, everything is taken to the highest level, including the riders’ attitudes and their nervousness," he said.
"This morning, Massimo and I decided to hold a roundtable discussion so we could talk things through and clear the air.
"Often, tensions stem from misunderstandings rather than real issues. We decided to talk it out, and everything went well.”
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