Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola criticized Jorge Martin after the Hungarian crash. "A mistake a champion shouldn't make." Then, he changed his tune. According to Simon Patterson, the manager realized the circumstances. Jorge Lorenzo, a guest on the Duralavita podcast, denounced it as a public humiliation. "As a rider, I would have found that really hard to take." He drew a comparison with Ducati. "Can you imagine Tardozzi or Dall'Igna speaking ill of Bagnaia?" The controversy is growing. Aprilia is under pressure.
Massimo rivola Did he speak too soon? A few minutes after the spectacular pile-up caused by George Martin departing from Hungarian Grand Prix, the boss ofAprilia He hadn't minced his words. Facing the cameras, the Italian had directly pointed the finger at his driver.
According to him, a world champion simply shouldn't make a mistake of that nature. His media appearance was particularly noteworthy in the paddock. But just a few hours later, the tone already seemed quite different.
The departure of Hungarian Grand Prix turned into a nightmare for ApriliaBy locking the front end of his RS-GP at the entrance to the first corner, George Martin dragged him down Marco Bezzecchi, Raul Fernandez et Fermin AldeguerA sporting disaster. An accounting disaster, too.
Because whileAprilia He left empty-handed. Marc Marquez took advantage of the situation to significantly reduce its deficit at championnatIn a fit of frustration, Massimo rivola had then publicly reprimanded his driver. An unusual stance for a team principal towards his own driver, the 2024 world champion.
« The two interviews were very different » of Rivola and a relationship still strained since the incident with Bonora in Barcelona
However, according to several observers present at Balaton Park, Rivola Journalist Simon Patterson, speaking in The Race MotoGP podcast, even believes that the boss ofAprilia realized he had gone too far.
« My interpretation is a little different after speaking to many people in the paddock " explains Patterson. I think Rivola has calmed down a bit between his television appearances, which were quite spontaneousand the realization that Martin had made a mistake, But I don't think he did anything as insane as some people are suggesting. »
According to him, the evolution is evident. The two interviews were very different. The television interviews, compared to his exchanges with the print media, were very different in tone. »
As the hours passed, several voices were raised to downplay the responsibility of the Spanish driver. Pecco Bagnaia mentioned the condition of the new asphalt on the first corner. Others pointed out that extremely aggressive starts are precisely one of the great strengths of George Martin since his arrival at Aprilia.
« I have the impression that he has tried to do what he usually does, but it went wrong " says Patterson. Perhaps Rivola realized this upon analyzing the circumstances and calmed down a bit. »
But the harshest criticism came from another world champion: Jorge LorenzoThe Spaniard openly questioned the way in which Aprilia chose to handle the incident. "As a pilot, I personally would have found that really hard to bear; I feel like I don't have the emotional support." " he said on the Duralavita MotoGP podcast.
For LorenzoThe problem goes far beyond pilot error. It concerns how a manufacturer protects—or fails to protect—its star pilot. Can you imagine Tardozzi or Gigi Dall'Igna speaking ill of Bagnaia because he misjudged his braking and eliminated Marc? "A painful comparison. And one that highlights one of the central questions now in the paddock:" Aprilia Did she publicly undermine her own world champion?
This controversy comes in an already delicate context. A few weeks earlier in Barcelona, Jorge Martin had already created controversy in jostling Paolo Bonora after a frustrating race. Even though the driver later apologized, this episode had left its mark.
For LorenzoThis incident is, moreover, more serious than the Hungarian mistake. I think Martin's behavior in the pit lane at Barcelona was a bigger mistake than that of Sunday in Hungary. »
However, today it is primarily Aprilia which finds itself under fire. And what if the main lesson of Balaton Park wasn't actually the crash of George Martin… But what about the way his own boss chose to handle it before quietly retracting his statements?
