Massimo Rivola, CEO of Aprilia Racing, emphasized that his team has not lost the MotoGP World Championship title for 2026, but rather it has been Marc Márquez who has won it with his outstanding performances on the Ducati. The Spanish rider is approaching his tenth crown in motorcycle competitions, and he already has a ‘match point’ in Qatar to achieve it, even knowing that the odds were slim during the past weekend.
After winning the sprint race in Losail on Saturday, Márquez secured second place on Sunday, a result that could crown him champion next Saturday in Portimao if he outperforms Jorge Martín by two points, while a position among the top nine would eliminate the threat from Marco Bezzecchi, who is 74 points behind with 74 points still available.
With the season nearing its end, a debate has opened up among fans and within the paddock: did Márquez win the title or did Aprilia lose it? Rivola expressed his admiration for the Ducati rider, lamenting that, despite having the best season in their history in the category, the team has not been able to secure the riders’ championship.
In an interview with Sky Sport, Rivola was adamant in his response to the question of whether the title is due to the rider or the distraction of Aprilia: ‘Marc Márquez won it. He was the decisive factor. One only has to look at the gap between him and the rest of the Ducatis in the race on Sunday.’
After the GP of Italy, Bezzecchi had a 102-point lead over Márquez, who was recovering from arm surgery. Although Ducati has equalized forces throughout the season, Aprilia has maintained good performance and heads to Portugal still in contention for the constructors’ title.
Since Márquez has regained his performance, he has taken advantage of every mistake from his rivals, accumulating seven wins in full races and eight in sprints, a record unattainable for other riders.
In this situation, Rivola remains optimistic about the work done, commenting that ‘I see the glass half full, as this season is a testament to the magnificent work of the team, creating a great bike. I am proud of the work done in Noale, and we will continue to fight until the last race.’
Even though the competition for the riders’ championship is nearly lost, Aprilia maintains a 124-point lead in the teams’ championship and continues to vie for the constructors’ title, sitting just 8 points behind Ducati.
Rivola concluded by emphasizing that the main goal is the teams’ championship, similar to the constructors’ title in Formula 1, stressing that ‘we definitely believe we deserve it.’ Furthermore, he warned that Márquez’s solitude in the competition is such that ‘sometimes, four Aprilias are not enough to stop him.’
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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