Just a few weeks ago, Aprilia seemed to have everything it needed for a historic season. Two riders in contention for the world title, an RS-GP capable of competing with Ducati, and an atmosphere described as exemplary within the Noale garage. Today, the picture is very different.
According to the Italian manager Charles Pernat, the connection between George Martin et Marco Bezzecchi when Hungarian Grand Prix It has left deep scars. To the point that the relationship between the two drivers has reportedly deteriorated completely, resulting in a rift that now goes beyond the purely sporting realm.
For a good part of the season, Marco Bezzecchi seemed to have found the consistency that had sometimes eluded him in the past. Winner at Mugellohe had taken control of the championship and still counted 21 points lead before the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Then everything happened in quick succession. Two retirements, two withdrawals, a suspension to Brno after an incident with a track marshal, then an injury in Germany abruptly interrupted its momentum. The hardest blow, however, came at Balaton Park.
The collision that changed everything at Aprilia
From the very first corner of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Jorge Martin was losing control of his Aprilia and collided with his teammate. The accident also caused the withdrawal of Raul fernandez and Fermin Aldeguerturning this first round into a real disaster for the Italian manufacturer.
Sportingly Bezzecchi was losing valuable points. Psychologically, the incident would have had far more significant consequences. For Charles PernatThis episode profoundly changed the atmosphere within the official team.
Carlo Pernat: “ At Aprilia, they exchange hostile glances, the riders no longer speak to each other, the race engineers no longer speak to each other. The atmosphere is bad. »
In comments reported by speedweekThe Italian manager describes a situation that has become particularly tense. Before, the team was like a champagne bubble: everything was going well. Since Hungary, everything has changed."According to him, the two pilots are no longer speaking to each other."
Even more worrying, tensions have reportedly spread among members of their respective teams. They exchange hostile glances, the drivers are no longer speaking to each other, the race engineers are no longer speaking to each other. The atmosphere is bad. It's as if a vase had broken »
If this description accurately reflects reality, Aprilia It is undoubtedly going through its most serious internal crisis since its return to the forefront of MotoGP. The figures seem to lend credence to this analysis.
After winning five of the first seven races, Aprilia has only managed one podium finish in the last four rounds. During this period, Bezzecchi et Martin only registered 65 points between them.
To compare, Ai OguraAmong TrackHouse Aprilia, harvested 102, while Marc Marquez registered 119, completely relaunching the race to championnatIn other words, it is no longer the official drivers who carry the ambitions ofAprilia.
The relationships between Marco Bezzecchi et George Martin They were never completely neutral. The two men had already clashed intensely during their time in Moto3 in 2018. However, no real hostility had surfaced since they shared the same garage in MotoGP. The accident of Hungary seems to have revived tensions that many thought were forgotten.
In the hours following the incident, Massimo rivola had publicly criticized George Martin an error that a " A world champion should not commit The boss ofAprilia He then softened his remarks, clearly seeking to ease tensions. But according to Charles PernatThe damage was already done.
However, caution is still advised. The statements of Charles Pernat reflect his assessment of the situation and do not constitute official confirmation of the state of relations within the team. Nor Aprilia, neither George Martin, neither Marco Bezzecchi have not publicly confirmed such a deep break.
However, one thing is undeniable: sporting performance deteriorated at the very moment internal tensions arose. And now, as the final part of the season approaches, Aprilia always competes for two major titles: the drivers' title and the constructors' title.
In this context, the main challenge of Massimo Rivola It may not be solely about making progress on the RS-GP.
Above all, he will have to rebuild the cohesion of a garage which, just a few weeks ago, seemed to be the project's greatest strength. ApriliaBecause if the cold war between its two pilots were to continue, it might be Ducati who would reap the benefits when it came time to distribute the world crowns.
