Amid a fierce title battle, the Ducati brand has stated that it is not concerned about the possibility of Aprilia implementing team orders during the final races of the 2026 MotoGP season. Davide Tardozzi, team manager of Ducati, indicated that Aprilia “can do what they want” with their strategies.
With only five races ahead, the competition is tighter than ever. Currently, Jorge Martín from Aprilia leads the standings with a minimal two-point advantage over Marc Márquez, star of the Ducati Team.
Possibility of team orders
The issue of team orders has been a recurring topic, especially from Aprilia, who are seeking their first world title in the category. Tardozzi referenced Márquez’s recent statements, who claimed that “if you are fast, you don’t need team orders”, emphasizing that both he and the other Ducati riders have the freedom to compete against each other.
In a direct reaction to potential team orders, Tardozzi commented: “They can do what they want. We are only looking for the best performance for Marc, and that is all”.
Aprilia’s position
On the other hand, Aprilia acknowledged the possibility of introducing team orders after an impressive 1-2-3-4 result at the Indonesian Grand Prix. However, they did not specify when they would implement this strategy. Aprilia’s manager, Paolo Bonora, insisted that now is not the right time and that the focus should be on preventing the riders from colliding with each other.
Bonora said: “We have not defined anything about team orders. We want all Aprilia riders to compete against each other respectfully and to do so in a safe environment”. While Aprilia is clear that every point can be crucial, they intend to keep the competition clean and respectful until the time comes to make more strategic decisions.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
