Ducati has “no doubt” Aprilia will use MotoGP team orders in Jorge Martin title fight: “It’s logical”

Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi has “no doubt” Aprilia will implement team orders to help its MotoGP title challenge “sooner or later”.

The Italian, whose reigning champion Marc Marquez remains just two points behind Aprilia’s Jorge Martin after Indonesia, added: “It’s logical… I would do it”.

Marquez and Ducati landed a surprise blow on a dominant Aprilia at Mandalika, taking advantage of a Turn 1 clash and tyre-pressure issues for race leader Martin to win Saturday’s Sprint.

It put Marquez into the championship lead for the first time this season.

However, Aprilia struck back with its first-ever top-four sweep in the Grand Prix, while Marquez could only manage sixth place.

But it could have been much worse for Ducati, with Martin finishing only third behind Marco Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez.

"Coming in two points behind Martin and leaving two points behind is a success for us,” Tardozzi told Sky Italia.

“The real problem is that Aprilia has proven to be decidedly superior, especially here.

“If we defend ourselves [next time] in Australia, I think the World Championship is still manageable.”

Aprilia team orders "right and logical"

Aprilia has indicated that team orders will not apply while its riders remain mathematically in World Championship contention.

Tardozzi is sure they are coming and, having famously been involved when Ducati issued its ‘Mapping 8’ instruction to Jorge Lorenzo during the 2017 title fight, admits he would do the same.

“I have no doubt that sooner or later Aprilia will issue team orders; it seems right and logical to me, and I would do it,” Tardozzi said.

Only the top eight riders remain in mathematical title contention after Mandalika.

If Ducati follows the same approach as Aprilia, it already has three riders - Pecco Bagnaia, Fermin Aldeguer and Franco Morbidelli - who are mathematically out of contention and could therefore be asked to aid Marquez if in a position to do so.

However, Marquez's factory team-mate Bagnaia hasn't been on the podium since the summer break, Morbidelli is rarely in the top ten and fellow GP25 rider Aldeguer suffered a fracture to his right hand on Sunday.

Meanwhile, all four Aprilias remain within the 185 points available over the final five rounds. That maximum will fall to 148 after Phillip Island, then 111 after Sepang.

Fernandez is currently closest to the mathematical cut-off, sitting 119 points behind Martin, while Trackhouse team-mate Ai Ogura is 96 behind and Bezzecchi trails by 46 points in third overall.

Some have suggested Fernandez, riding injured on Sunday and in no position to retaliate once Bezzecchi overtook, would have been asked to let Martin have second place if it had been later in the season.

However, that would compromise his own championship ranking, as well as costing Trackhouse team points.

Complicating the team orders situation is that, while Fernandez and Bezzecchi will both be Aprilia riders in 2027, Martin and Ogura are moving to Yamaha.