Is having two title contenders an advantage or a burden for Aprilia? Motorsport.com reported on October 8 that Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola acknowledged at Thursday’s joint Indonesian GP press conference that the riders would take points from one another. He nevertheless regarded the ability of several riders to go fast on the same motorcycle as a positive sign. Ducati Corse General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna, who attended the same conference, also expressed his wish to see more riders at the front.
Rivola: Taking on Marc Marquez and Ducati is the toughest task
Heading into the Mandalika weekend, Jorge Martin led Marc Marquez by two points, while the other Aprilia factory rider, Marco Bezzecchi, was 49 points behind the leader. Rivola said Aprilia faced one of the toughest challenges in taking on the Marquez-Ducati partnership. Simply being part of the fight demonstrated progress in the work at the Noale factory.
Rivola recalled that when he said last year that they could beat Marc Marquez, his first aim was to persuade people inside the company that the objective was achievable. Aprilia had done so several times this year, but he did not claim that the title was therefore within its grasp. He still considered it too early to say whether the challenge could be sustained to the end of the season.
Both executives want more than one rider at the front
Asked about the advantages and disadvantages of Martin and Bezzecchi both fighting for the title, Rivola did not deny that they were competing for points. He stressed that having more than one rider capable of going fast on the bike benefited both the championship and the sport, while sending a positive message to riders who might join in the future.
Dall’Igna’s answer followed a similar line: the more riders at the front, the better, and he wanted more than one Ducati rider involved in such battles. The common theme was the manufacturers’ wish for competitiveness to extend across several riders.
INKA SPORTS analysis: Why having several contenders remains desirable
Rivola accepts two things at once: teammates take points from one another, and several fast riders demonstrate that a motorcycle is competitive for a wider group. The first concerns an individual rider’s route to the title; the second concerns whether a manufacturer can enable different riders to show their speed. Acknowledging the points impact does not therefore mean a manufacturer wants only one competitive rider. Dall’Igna’s desire for more riders at the front reinforces that trade-off.
Conclusion
Their answers suggest that manufacturers value riders’ title opportunities while also wanting the same motorcycle to put more riders at the front. For Aprilia, its two riders taking points from each other is a cost that accompanies that competition, and one Rivola remains willing to accept.
