APRILIA PRESSED FOR TYRE SAFETY ACTION AFTER MOTEGI BLISTERING

Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola says his team pressed for tyre changes at Motegi after the Japanese MotoGP Sprint exposed what he called a clear safety concern. The soft rear tyre blistered badly on several bikes, and pieces of rubber from Jorge Martin’s tyre damaged the rear wing of his Aprilia. Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia retired a lap before the finish. Rivola said inspections also found blisters developing inside tyres that showed no obvious damage, including Marco Bezzecchi’s medium rear. Yamaha’s Jack Miller, the only other rider using that compound, had already reported substantial visible blistering.

“It was clear that there was a safety issue here,” Rivola told Sky Italia. He said Martin finished the Sprint with “half the tyre,” while other riders had the same problem. Cutting open tyres that appeared intact revealed bubbles forming beneath the surface, he explained, meaning the damage could eventually become visible. With the Grand Prix twice as long as the Sprint, Rivola said, “no one knew what could happen.”

Aprilia argued for action, but Rivola said the push did not come from a united front. “We faced this situation and this danger head-on from a safety perspective and pushed to change things,” he said, adding that the team was “very successful” in securing a safer solution. He hoped such a response would not depend on one manufacturer taking the lead: “I would like to achieve this solution without a single team having to provide this push.”

Michelin withdrew the soft rear and recommended a reinforced hard tyre. Sunday’s warm-up was extended from 10 to 20 minutes so riders could assess the option, which had not been used before that day. The hard performed better than the medium, and every rider chose it for the Grand Prix.

Rivola also questioned why the medium remained available. He said its construction was the same as the soft’s and argued it, too, should have been banned after the Sprint evidence. “Obviously, you don’t know until you race,” he acknowledged. But, he added, Martin’s damaged wing showed that the issue involved more than performance: “We’re talking about dangers. Maybe nothing happens, but if there’s a way to fix it, I’d do it.” Rivola said he knew some people had opposed Aprilia’s position, though he could not identify who supported or resisted the change.

The Grand Prix went ahead on the reinforced hard. Marc Marquez won, with Martin second and Bezzecchi third. The result cut Martin’s championship lead over Marquez to two points.