That said, Aprilia might just be forced to rethink its strategy as a seven-time champion breathes down its neck. According to The Race, the Italian manufacturer is weighing up the possibility of deploying team orders for the final two rounds of the 2026 MotoGP campaign, even though its riders currently remain completely free to race each other.
Jorge Martin leads the points standings coming out of the Indonesian Grand Prix, but he is sitting just two points ahead of seven-time champion Marc Marquez. Meanwhile, Martin's team-mate Marco Bezzecchi took the win at Mandalika and sits 46 points down, with a total of either 185 points or 148 points still available depending on whether the Qatar race goes ahead. Further down the order, Trackhouse riders Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez are 96 and 119 points off respectively, leaving them out of contention by any realistic measure even if no Aprilia rider is mathematically eliminated just yet.
This sport shows that it's so easy to make a zero[-point race], that everything can happen.
The contract situation only thickens the plot. Martin is on an expiring deal and will join Yamaha in 2027, while Bezzecchi is locked in under contract for 2027-28.
"I mean, we said it since the beginning, that while the mathematics are open, it's open," Aprilia motorsport boss Massimo Rivola told MotoGP.com after the Indonesian GP. "So, in a way, it's good that we have more riders that can fight for [wins in] races - at the same time we will steal points between each other. But at the end for Aprilia, it's good for the brand to have bikes in front, and I think they all deserve to have their chance. Obviously, if it will be only one rider at one stage [in contention], maybe for the last two races, we will see."
Technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini echoed the sentiment, stating that "everybody is completely free" for the moment. Yet the team is already looking at ways to keep things clean on track. "Clearly, we start to discuss between us, to start to put some directives, guidelines to avoid problems," Sterlacchini added. However, both bosses noted those internal guidelines failed to prevent a collision between Fernandez and Bezzecchi at the start of the Mandalika sprint.
Enforcing team orders on two wheels is notoriously difficult anyway. Rivola, formerly a Ferrari F1 sporting director, pointed out the obvious limitation of the sport: "I mean, we are not F1. There's no radio - we can have our chats and meetings, we always say to our guys to behave, especially between Aprilias, but then you see what happened yesterday at the start. So, if you have also a bit of bad luck, then... s**t happens."
Despite the gaps and the tricky dynamics, Rivola insists Bezzecchi is still genuinely in the title hunt. "Yeah, I think so, yeah-yeah," Rivola said. "This sport shows that it's so easy to make a zero[-point race], that everything can happen."
