Tensions in Aprilia’s MotoGP Garage Are High. Team Manager Pulled No Punches Toward Jorge Martin

Tensions are getting ever higher in Aprilia's MotoGP garage.

Photo by: Motorsport.com

By: Robbie Bacon

Jun 11, at 7:59am ET

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Rubbing is racing, but what's going on between Aprilia teammates Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi goes well beyond that. For anyone who missed it, Martin tucked the front into turn one at the Hungarian GP and caused a five-bike incident, taking out three other riders, one being Bezzecchi. This incident isn't unusual in MotoGP, particularly at the Hungarian GP, but the way the team manager, Massimo Rivola, responded to the incident was.

A show of unity between team members and riders is the norm in MotoGP, particularly from managers toward riders. But when Rivola spoke to the press, it was far from a unified front. After the incident, the Italian team manager said, "A world champion, I think he cannot do a mistake like that... You spoke about the penalty - maybe, sincerely, we are speaking so much about the safety, I would not have disagreed if the penalty was even stronger and harsher than that. Because the first corner is dangerous and these guys are risking already everywhere, and if we put extra risk it's not necessary."

Rivola's interaction with the press made it seem like he thought Martin's use of the brake was far below the caliber of rider he is, which isn't particularly nice for Martin coming from his team manager. But Rivola's acceptance of a harsher penalty for one of his riders says a lot about his feelings toward the incident. This might seem harsh, but this is a flashpoint after numerous incidents involving Martin.

During the Spanish GP, Raul Fernández took Martin out. Of course, this isn't Martin's fault, but what the Spanish rider did back in the pits certainly was. When Martin returned to the garage, cameras caught him shoving Paolo Bonora, Aprilia's MotoGP Race Manager. Martin later apologized for this, saying, "I tried to calm myself down during the race. But as soon as I came in, it all boiled over again – the tension. And yes, I’d like to apologize to Paolo Bonora. It was completely unnecessary for me to push him."

What usually would've been a racing incident triggered a "rules of engagement" meeting after the race, involving Aprilia's factory squad and the Trackhouse team. Now, it's worth noting that Martin also took Bezzecchi out during the 2025 Japanese GP Sprint, resulting in team bosses bringing both riders together to clear the air afterward.

If you know anything about how Martin's and Aprilia's relationship was in 2025, it's already obvious that the problems in 2026 are just adding to an already tense situation. Although Martin issued an apology to his fellow riders after this most recent incident, there has been mostly radio silence from the rest of the grid. The only person who came to Martin's aid was Jack Miller, who believes the incident is more ride height device-related than a total rider blunder.

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Miller stated, “Jorge [Martin] trying to get the device out, bike jumped, and then when it starts jumping, it's difficult to make it stop... At the end of the day, we're making an unnatural manoeuvre, especially here in Balaton, where turn one was quite slippery with the new asphalt, that you weren't even really able, without locking the front, to really get that transfer, not enough transfer to unlock the devices... So, another device-related crash, I believe."

Whatever the main factor was behind the incident, it has certainly turned up the temperature in Aprilia's garage. The problem isn't only Martin's behavior during the 2025 and 2026 seasons, but that it took both Aprilia's out at a crucial point in the season, allowing Marc Marquez and Ducati to get a look into the championship once more.