APRILIA COLLEAGUE SAID TO LOOK EMBARRASSED BY RIVOLA’S QATAR STEWARDS PROTEST

Aprilia team principal Massimo Rivola’s reaction to the stewards’ decision after Marco Bezzecchi’s Sprint crash in Qatar drew criticism from former MotoGP team manager Ricard Jove, who said the Italian’s colleague Paolo Bonora appeared embarrassed by the public display.

The stewards classified Bezzecchi’s Turn 1 collision with Marc Marquez as a racing incident and took no further action. Marquez went on to win the Sprint, his ninth victory in the shorter format that year, while Bezzecchi retired. Rivola responded to the ruling by sarcastically applauding the television screens in Aprilia’s garage.

The decision was broadly accepted in the paddock. Former rider Neil Hodgson told Rivola to “give over”, while Dani Pedrosa said the incident could serve as a reference point for greater consistency in future decisions. Jove suggested Rivola’s reaction reflected mounting frustration as Aprilia struggled to contain Marquez’s comeback and its title challenge came under pressure.

“Frustration is causing him to lose a little of the composure that a senior executive and the top representative of a brand ought to have,” Jove said on the DURALAVITA podcast. “The reality is that, despite having two top riders and a good bike, they haven’t been able to counter Marc’s spectacular comeback, and that’s frustrating.”

Jove also cited a confrontation between Rivola and Trackhouse team chief Davide Brivio at the Catalan Grand Prix in May, saying Rivola had given Brivio “a right telling-off” in an incident that was visible to others. He described the Qatar applause as another example of the Aprilia boss’s conduct becoming too public.

“I also noticed that Bonora was walking past behind them, stepping out of the camera’s frame like he was embarrassed,” Jove said. He contrasted Bonora’s response with Rivola’s, describing the Aprilia chief as cautious and saying he had handled the situation better.

Jove added that Rivola was under pressure because of the events surrounding Aprilia’s two leading riders, particularly Jorge Martin. Rivola has been credited with helping transform Aprilia into a title contender after years of work, but the team’s progress has not yet delivered the championship success it sought. Jove suggested that the outcome of the campaign could have implications for Rivola’s standing, with Aprilia now looking ahead to the next season and a new technical-regulations era.