As Motorsport.com Italia reports, Aprilia Racing is sitting pretty after a double podium at the Red Bull Ring that feels almost like a victory. Conquering a venue where Ducati historically ruled the roost with nine wins in the last decade is no small feat. Jorge Martin claimed glory in the Sprint before chasing the KTM of Pedro Acosta home in the grand prix, while Marco Bezzecchi collected a pair of third-place finishes.
Those results fired the Noale manufacturer back to the head of the Constructors' standings with a 10-point margin over their rivals from Borgo Panigale. In the riders' table, Martinator clawed his way back to lead Marc Marquez by 12 lengths. Considering the undulating Austrian layout has never been particularly kind to the RS-GP, Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola had plenty of reasons to smile when speaking to Sky Sport MotoGP.
"The bike has grown so much since the first time we put it on track at the beginning of the year," Rivola said, pointing out how the Michelin rear tyre construction coped well with overheating and suited their machine. He also highlighted the sheer speed evolution, noting that while Bagnaia's 2024 run remains the fastest race here, the Aprilia's relentless upward trajectory proves the technical group's excellence. Even so, with roughly a third of the championship still ahead and a gap much smaller than the 100-plus points held after Mugello, the boss insists on keeping feet firmly on the ground.
"We are less used to being at the top than others, so we must not forget this and we must not get big-headed over a good result," Rivola stated, adding that team orders are entirely off the table for now. As long as math allows both riders to fight, they will have their chance, especially since Bezzecchi sits 42 points back following a costly error at Misano—his only blemish in a stellar run of podiums since the summer break.
When sizing up the intra-team dynamics, Rivola believes experience heavily favors the Madrid native. According to the CEO, Martin holds two distinct advantages over Bezzecchi: he has already won a world championship, and he has already lost one. That hard-earned psychological scar tissue teaches lessons that theory simply cannot touch, a trait he notes Marquez has multiplied tenfold.
Finally, addressing health concerns, Rivola confirmed that Martin currently has no plans to go under the knife for the arm pump issue that flared up at Misano, noting that the rider experienced no trouble in Spielberg and prefers to stay focused and avoid unnecessary risks.
