APRILIA SWEEPS MANDALIKA PODIUM AS STERLACCHINI WARNS OF TITLE-RACE CHALLENGES

Aprilia arrived at Mandalika expecting the circuit to suit its RS-GP, but Saturday brought a major setback. Marco Bezzecchi and pole-sitter Raúl Fernández both crashed out of the sprint, leaving championship leader Jorge Martín to take over the fight for the win. Martín then ran into trouble too, and Marc Márquez claimed victory and the championship lead. With the title battle at stake, Aprilia needed a strong points haul in Sunday’s Grand Prix to keep the contest open. Speedweek followed the race live from Mandalika to see whether the team could respond.

The answer was a historic result: Bezzecchi won ahead of Fernández, Martín and Ai Ogura, giving Aprilia its first-ever MotoGP top-four lockout. Márquez was the leading Ducati rider in sixth, and Martín reclaimed the championship lead. Fernández finished second despite racing with two broken fingers.

Aprilia technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini said the result showed the value of having four competitive riders, but cautioned against assuming the same balance of power at every circuit. “It depends on the track,” he said, noting that Ducati had been stronger at some venues while Aprilia had the edge at others. He added that the team was pleased to have four strong riders, while recognising that managing the situation would be important.

Martín had to recover positions after the start and first corner. Sterlacchini believed the championship leader was trying to find the best result without taking unnecessary risks. Once Martín had caught up, his lap times were broadly comparable with those of the two riders at the front.

Bezzecchi’s victory keeps his title hopes alive, though he remains 46 points behind Martín. Aprilia has not imposed a fixed order: team boss Massimo Rivola has said the riders are currently free to race. Sterlacchini said the team was beginning to discuss “guidelines” to avoid avoidable problems, while acknowledging that the sprint crash showed how quickly incidents can happen even when roles and risks are discussed.

Asked about the mental contest between Martín and Márquez, Sterlacchini said it was difficult to judge who was stronger because that could change from race to race. “In a fight like this, it is important never to give up until the last drop of blood and to leave nothing untried,” he said.

Aprilia plans to keep developing the RS-GP and work with all four riders to extract its full potential. Sterlacchini said the team had recently brought updates and that, in Mandalika, placing all four bikes ahead of Márquez had helped it score more points. He said there was no special strategy beyond maximising every session and every event.

With five weekends remaining if Qatar goes ahead—Phillip Island, Sepang, Lusail, Portimão and Valencia—Sterlacchini said it was difficult to predict which tracks would suit Aprilia. The team had expected to struggle at Spielberg but instead enjoyed a strong weekend. He admitted to particular concern about Sepang and Qatar, while believing Aprilia could be competitive at the other venues. Valencia looked more evenly matched, he said, pointing to Márquez’s strength in left-hand corners.

Fernández is also an important part of Aprilia’s plans beyond the title fight. Sterlacchini called the Trackhouse rider a key part of the project and said the team was investing time in him because it believed he had “very great potential”. Aprilia is also working individually with its riders to combine their different strengths and help each improve their overall package.