HODGSON REJECTS RIVOLA’S ANGER AS APRILIA BOSS MAINTAINS STEWARDS CRITICISM
8 Nov 2026·
Marc Marquez won Saturday’s Qatar Grand Prix Sprint at Lusail, but a collision with pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi became the race’s main talking point. Fabio Di Giannantonio finished second and Jorge Martin, racing while injured, took third.
The clash came on lap four while the pair were battling for the lead at Turn 1. Bezzecchi went down and was unable to get his bike back up, ending his race and his remaining hopes in the championship. Marquez stayed upright and went on to win. Race control classified the incident as a racing incident, a decision that visibly angered Aprilia chief Massimo Rivola.
Rivola said on Sunday that his view had not changed since the crash. “After 24 hours, I have the same opinion as after 24 seconds,” he said, adding that he was disappointed Bezzecchi had been knocked out of the title fight after his season’s efforts. He also criticised the stewards for not examining the incident more deeply, arguing that they could have heard from both riders before deciding whether to take no further action or issue a penalty.
“For me, it was quite easy to judge,” Rivola said. He suggested the key question was which rider could have avoided the collision and maintained that Marquez was responsible. “Marc did just what he would normally do, but there was someone else in his way,” he said. “It was not Marco to go in the direction of Marc, but it was the opposite.” Rivola also asked: “Do you think Bez could have done differently?”
MotoGP pundit Neil Hodgson disagreed with Rivola’s reaction during TNT Sports’ coverage. “Oh, give over… Give over!” he said, arguing that the contact was a normal racing occurrence. Hodgson sarcastically suggested Marquez had “purposely knocked the rider off on the inside,” before explaining that riders often try to return to the apex after running wide.
He defended Marquez’s actions, saying: “Marc Marquez is just trying to get back to the apex, doing what you do. That’s all you do as a racer. If you go a bit wide, you try and pull it into the apex.”
Hodgson also stressed that Bezzecchi was not at fault for attempting the move. “I feel so sorry for Marco Bezzecchi. He’s done nothing wrong; he’s gone for the gap, but they just collided,” he said. He added that he was surprised Bezzecchi fell, noting that a handlebar being struck can pull a rider’s hands away and cause an immediate crash.
The incident briefly opened the door for Martin to take the lead, but Marquez soon moved back ahead and proved too fast for his compatriot. The Sprint result gives the reigning champion his first realistic opportunity to secure the 2026 title in Sunday’s Grand Prix. To clinch it, Marquez must win while Martin fails to score.