Aprilia Ready to Apply 'Team Orders' in MotoGP 2025, Is Jorge Martin the Priority?
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- Aprilia mengaku tengah mempertimbangkan arahan strategi tim untuk mengamankan gelar juara dunia MotoGP 2025.
- Kemenangan 1-2-3-4 di Mandalika tak menyelesaikan masalah internal, terutama setelah insiden sprint race yang melibatkan pembalap satelit dan pabrikan.
- Dengan selisih poin tipis dari Ducati, Aprilia berisiko kehilangan peluang emas jika tidak segera menentukan prioritas pembalap.
Aprilia is reportedly weighing the implementation of team orders or racing strategy directives to boost its chances of clinching the 2025 MotoGP world title. Nevertheless, the manufacturer from Noale, Italy, insists that its riders still have the freedom to compete sportingly for now.
The decision emerged after Aprilia made history with a 1-2-3-4 finish at the Indonesian Grand Prix at the Mandalika Circuit. Factory rider Marco Bezzecchi came out on top after a tight duel with Trackhouse satellite rider Raul Fernandez. However, dominance on track did not immediately resolve the team's internal issues.
In the riders' standings, Jorge Martin leads by just two points over Ducati's Marc Marquez. Bezzecchi trails by 46 points in third place after a tough summer—he was briefly banned from racing and suffered knee and collarbone injuries. This situation puts Aprilia at a crossroads: fully backing Martin, who will move to Yamaha next season, or continuing to give equal room to Bezzecchi, seen as the team's future.
Aprilia Technical Director Fabiano Sterlacchini revealed that internal discussions are starting to point toward the need for strategic guidance. "For now, as stated by our CEO Massimo Rivola, everything is still free," he said. "But clearly, we are starting to discuss setting directions so as not to create problems."
Sterlacchini added that although there is no official deadline, talks with Rivola to determine team strategy could take place in the coming races. "We haven't set a deadline, but perhaps in the next few races, the time will come to discuss with Massimo and determine team strategy without 'ifs' or 'buts'," he explained.
The need for team direction became more apparent after Saturday's sprint race, where Raul Fernandez and Bezzecchi had to retire after being involved in an incident on the opening lap. That incident, plus the problems experienced by Martin, handed victory to Marquez. Sterlacchini realizes that instructions from the pit wall could help, but risks remain when several riders from the same factory compete on track.
"We feel comfortable allowing freedom for now, but I don't know until when," Sterlacchini said.
The sprint race incident also sparked tension between Fernandez and Bezzecchi. Fernandez accused Bezzecchi of acting "unprofessionally" for focusing more on him than on the Ducati riders while braking at Turn 1. Aprilia then held a meeting before Sunday's race to ease tensions. "We decided to talk and sort it out, and everything went well," Sterlacchini said.
With five races remaining, Aprilia is at a crucial juncture. They must decide whether to sacrifice Bezzecchi's long-term interests for a title that Martin could secure this year. This decision not only affects the team's internal dynamics but also the increasingly heated battle for the world championship.
For MotoGP fans in Indonesia, especially those who packed the Mandalika Circuit, Aprilia's internal drama is a spectacle in itself. Will Aprilia impose team orders, or continue to let its riders fight freely? The answer will soon be revealed in the coming rounds.
