MARC MARQUEZ SEEN AS ONLY BARRIER TO APRILIA’S TITLE CHARGE

A MotoGP world champion has suggested that Aprilia’s dominance this season is so clear that only Marc Marquez can realistically stop the Noale factory from taking the title. The claim comes after Aprilia delivered what was described as the most commanding weekend of the year at Silverstone, where RS-GP machinery swept the podium in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. Jorge Martin won on Saturday, with Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez taking victory on Sunday.

The sources highlighted how close Aprilia were to an even more complete statement at the British venue. It was noted that, had Fernandez avoided a crash in the Sprint and Ai Ogura avoided one in the Grand Prix, Aprilia were “likely on for one-two-three-four finishes.”

While Aprilia and Ducati have alternated race wins over the past four rounds, the constructors’ picture has tilted strongly toward Aprilia: they hold a 29-point advantage. The champion’s view is that the gap is not simply down to rivals’ errors. Instead, the difference between the bikes is said to be obvious once they are out on track.

Speaking to El Periodico, the champion said: “When you see them on the track, you’re blown away.” They added: “They’re smooth, in a straight line. You’re barely moving on your bike, and theirs doesn’t even budge.” The same rider went further on the performance level, calling the Aprilia “a superior bike, far superior,” and argued that the championship will be extremely hard to take away from them: “when we see it on the track, right in front of us or chasing it, we realise that it’s going to be very, very difficult for them to lose the championship.”

The quote that framed the title outlook most directly was: “Here, the only one who can stop Aprilia from winning the title is Marc, without a doubt. I don’t see any other possibility of them losing this world championship.” The champion pointed to Aprilia’s win at Le Mans as further proof, saying: “when I saw them win at Le Mans, which was, they say, the circuit least suited to their bike, I thought, wow! These guys are going to have a field day.”

Looking ahead, the champion tied the title to the next stretch of races, naming Aragon, Misano and Austria as decisive: “If they get good results in the next three races, Aragon, Misano, and Austria, forget it, Ducati won’t be able to catch up.”

Marquez is expected to arrive at Aragon as the heavy favourite, with the sources noting his strong record there, including seven overall wins in recent years. At the same time, the champion’s comments suggested that the title may hinge on how Marquez performs on weekends where results are less dominant. Marquez, for his part, rejected the idea that Silverstone was his “worst” race for Ducati, despite dropping from sixth to ninth in the Sprint and finishing seventh in the Grand Prix.