Four Aprilias in the top four positions at the Indonesian Grand Prix: Noale achieved an unprecedented feat in MotoGP. Yet, just 24 hours earlier, the manufacturer had given Marc Marquez an advantage in the title race. Massimo Rivola notably acknowledged a "serious error" in managing Jorge Martin's front tire pressure. Behind the industrial triumph, Aprilia discovered that its main threat could also come from within its own operations.
On Saturday, Marc Marquez left the Mandalika Sprint leading the world championship . On Sunday, Jorge Martin regained his lead, and Aprilia placed its four RS-GP bikes in the top four positions.
In between, the Italian manufacturer had just experienced one of the most contrasting weekends in its history. A scenario that perfectly sums up its season: a bike capable of dominating Ducati , but an execution still likely to jeopardize the title.
Saturday: Aprilia offers Marquez an opening
Everything had started perfectly. Raul Fernandez secured pole position ahead of Marco Bezzecchi . On paper, Aprilia had the tools to control the race. But at the first corner of the Sprint, the two men collided, shattering their ambitions.
Meanwhile, Jorge Martin , facing a front tire pressure problem, had to relinquish a comfortable lead over Marc Marquez . A subsequent mistake dropped him back to fourth place. Marquez won the Sprint and took the championship lead for the first time this season.
The most worrying thing for Aprilia was not Ducati 's performance , but the way in which its own difficulties had facilitated this reversal.
Rivola apologizes to Martin
On Sunday, Massimo Rivola did not try to minimize his team's responsibilities. " Once again, Aprilia is synonymous with great spectacle, for better or for worse ," acknowledged the Aprilia Racing boss.
He focused primarily on the tire pressure incident that penalized Martin . " The Sprint was ruined by a mistake at the first corner and a serious error regarding Jorge's front tire pressure, for which we owe him an apology ."
Rivola is not content with simply regretting the result. He acknowledges a failure in the preparation or management of the race, without publicly specifying the exact mechanism.
However, in a championship where Martin and Marquez are separated by only two points, a poor technical anticipation can have consequences as serious as a crash.
Sunday: Four Aprilias to set the record straight
The sporting response was spectacular. Bezzecchi returned to winning ways ahead of Fernandez , who was hampered by injury. Martin completed the podium, while Ai Ogura secured fourth place for TrackHouse .
For the first time, four RS-GP bikes finished a Grand Prix in the top four positions. " Sunday will be remembered for a long time ," Rivola rejoiced . This 1-2-3 finish demonstrates that Aprilia 's competitiveness no longer depends solely on its factory team.
TrackHouse directly contributes to the manufacturer's technical dominance. But this collective strength has a paradox: the faster the four drivers are, the more delicate their coexistence becomes when one of them is in contention for the world title.
Technical superiority does not guarantee the championship
Rivola, however, refuses to give in to euphoria. " We know it will be difficult until the end , but just as we don't get discouraged when things go wrong, we don't get carried away when they go right ."
Caution is warranted. At Mandalika, Aprilia demonstrated that it probably had the best bike of the weekend. But it also showed that a collision between its riders and poor tire management could be enough to put Marquez back in a favorable position.
With five Grands Prix remaining, the battle will therefore not be solely about the speed of the RS-GPs. It will also depend on procedures, collective discipline, and Noale's ability to avoid avoidable errors.
Aprilia achieved the feat of beating everyone on Sunday. To become MotoGP world champion , they will above all have to learn not to fight themselves on Saturdays.
