APRILIA BOSS SEES BOTH SIDES OF AUSTRALIAN GP CANCELLATION

Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola is unsure whether the cancellation of Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix ultimately helped or hurt Jorge Martin’s championship prospects. The race at Phillip Island was called off because poor visibility prevented the medical helicopter from operating safely. The points gap between Martin and Marc Marquez therefore remained 10 points after Saturday’s sprint. Marquez heads to Malaysia on 365 points, Martin has 355 and Marco Bezzecchi is third on 315.

Martin had already been ruled out of Sunday’s race after fracturing his wrist in a sprint crash while fighting Marquez for the lead. Marquez took the championship lead, while Bezzecchi finished fourth, just over a second behind the winner. Rivola said Bezzecchi was likely frustrated at losing a chance to make up ground: “I’m sure that Marco is a bit pissed, because he saw an opportunity.” Bezzecchi had topped Friday practice before qualifying ninth in the wet, then fought through to fourth in the sprint. Rivola thought Martin, meanwhile, would be pleased the race was cancelled, though he was uncertain whether that would ultimately benefit the injured rider.

“I don’t know if that’s good or bad for Jorge, because if he’s not physically fit, it’s not good,” Rivola said. “But it’s not up to us to decide that.” He added that Aprilia would follow the organisers’ safety decisions: “If the organiser tells us that the conditions are right for us to compete from a safety standpoint, we simply do it.” Rivola admitted he had not initially considered the helicopter issue, which proved decisive. He also noted that the track did not look suitable given Phillip Island’s high average speeds.

Marquez said the riders were ready to race and considered the track conditions acceptable, but acknowledged the helicopter could not fly. “The conditions were acceptable, but the rescue helicopter couldn’t fly. For safety reasons everything was cancelled. We riders were ready, but we couldn’t race. Thanks to all the fans who support MotoGP,” he said. He regretted the disappointment for spectators, saying Phillip Island “didn’t deserve to have the last race cancelled.” Moto3 and Moto2 were also called off, and MotoGP riders completed a farewell lap behind the Safety Car.

The cancellation was especially disappointing for fans who had waited at the circuit, and for Rivola’s family, who had travelled to see what was expected to be Phillip Island’s final MotoGP race. “The last roar at Phillip Island deserved a better end,” he said. Rivola said he had brought his family after telling them they needed to see the circuit’s last race; their journey took four days. He described the team’s feelings as mixed: Martin was “happy” about the washout, while Bezzecchi had missed an opportunity and Rivola was saddened by the end of the Phillip Island era. Saturday had also been forecast to bring poor weather, so it was easy only in hindsight to suggest the Grand Prix could have been swapped with the sprint. “Now, speaking after, maybe we could have raced on Saturday, but it’s too easy to say now,” he said. “It’s just a pity we don’t race for all these people. Nothing that we can really control.”

Marquez, a four-time premier-class winner at the circuit, called Phillip Island one of his favourite tracks and said he had great memories there. His sprint victory, ahead of Alex Marquez and Fabio di Giannantonio, gave him the title lead; Sunday’s cancellation removed the chance to add another Grand Prix win at the venue.

Although missing a race could help Martin if he is unable to compete, Rivola stressed that Aprilia was not hoping for further cancellations. “If you look at Jorge, of course it would be better if we didn’t race — not even in Sepang, perhaps only at the last two races. But that’s not what this is about. We have to focus on what we need to do.” He added: “We are here to race.”

Martin is aiming to return at next week’s Malaysian Grand Prix after further checks, although Rivola considers it “very difficult” for him to race at Sepang. He will travel directly from Australia to Malaysia rather than return to Spain for surgery. Aprilia team manager Paolo Bonora said the fracture was not displaced and an operation did not currently appear necessary. “The championship is still open. We have the chance for Jorge to recover,” he said. The team will assess Martin day by day; a Sepang start has not been confirmed.

Rivola also said Aprilia had failed to make the most of its pace in Indonesia and Australia, where he believes the bike had an advantage in dry conditions. “We didn’t maximise at all,” he said. He hopes the team can score well at circuits less suited to it, though that remains to be seen. The number of rounds still to come is uncertain, with the Qatar Grand Prix in doubt; Rivola said Aprilia currently believes four races remain. He wants Martin’s season to finish with the rider fully recovered rather than rushing back. “I’d like our story to end in the best possible way, with him at 100% physically.”

Rivola praised Martin’s performance before the crash. “Yesterday he put on an incredible show. We saw the real Jorge, and I think he had a chance to win the race.” Bonora also praised his pace and aggression, while noting the crash was severe. Rivola said Aprilia would keep fighting: “We haven’t had much luck with him, but we certainly won’t give up until this is over.”