Jorge Martin sends pointed message to Aprilia after Bezzecchi controversy
Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
17:00, 22 Jun
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Jorge Martin has appeared to question Aprilia's treatment of him compared to that of his teammate Marco Bezzecchi.
MotoGP title leader Bezzecchi was banned from Sunday’s Czech Grand Prix after hitting a marshal while his Aprilia was crashed in Saturday’s sprint.
Bezzecchi issued a public and private apology to the employee, giving him a pair of gloves in teary trackside scenes.
The topic quickly dominated the weekend in Brno, particularly with it massively hampering Bezzecchi’s title chances, seeing a resurgent Marc Marquez close the gap to 40 points with victory.
Yet most of his colleagues were sympathetic, condemning his actions, but arguing that a race ban was too severe.
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Aprilia boss condemns Bezzecchi's actions but defends rider
However, one person who offered far less sympathy was Aprilia team CEO Massimo Rivola.
Aprilia appealed the ban, feeling it was ‘disproportionate’ but Rivola still laid into the No.72 when reflecting on the call to Sky Italia:
“We also apologise to the marshal and accept the penalty, also because we cannot tolerate behaviour like Marco's.
“Like us, Marco obviously can't sleep, not only because of the penalty, but because of the gesture itself. I sometimes slap my son and I can't sleep at night even though he fully deserved it, so, in a situation where the marshal doesn't deserve it, imagine how someone with a heart like Marco can feel.
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“That said, these are gestures that shouldn't be done. We have to tell the kids that these things shouldn't be done because that's the rule now, and it's right that the rule be that way."
An emotional Bezzecchi apologised for the very costly incident
He added on the rejected appeal:
“At the same time, we appealed because we felt the sanction was disproportionate to the action: in the past, there have been lighter sanctions or practically non-existent sanctions.
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“We know that there is now a precedent and that this is the line of conduct: we are very happy to comply.”
Rivola’s critique was, by comparison, one of the strongest on the grid despite his caveats, yet for his other rider, Martin, it was a defence.
Jorge Martin highlights Aprilia's support of Bezzecchi
Speaking later to the media, the 2024 champion told motorsport.com:
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"Yesterday I saw the team's reaction to Marco, and if it ever happens to me, which I hope it doesn't, I just hope the team will stand up for me the same way they did for him.
“I expect my team to defend me like they did for him, because that's why they're my team.”
Why Martin may have felt frustrated by Rivola's comments
While Martin’s comments may sound a little sulky on the face of it, there is some context that explains his disgruntlement.
In Hungary, a turn-one incident saw Martin take out himself and four other riders, including Bezzecchi.
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Rivola was again critical of his rider when speaking on TV:
“That was Jorge's mistake, and unfortunately, it should never happen, especially when safety is so much at stake.
“He made a mistake braking badly, but he didn't brake too much after the others; he braked harder with the bike slightly leaned over in a part of the track where there's little grip. A mistake a world champion shouldn't make, very simple. There's not much to say, we'll let him look at the data, and then we'll talk."
Jorge Lorenzo criticises Aprilia's handling of Martin
Should Martin have felt the comments were uncalled for, that feeling would’ve only been emboldened by countryman and MotoGP legend Jorge Lorenzo.
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Speaking on the Duralavia Podcast, the five-time champion was quick to shut down Rivola:
"You can't criticise Martin like Rivola did, especially if you've never been a MotoGP rider.
“Can you imagine [Davide] Tardozzi or Gigi Dall'Igna speaking ill of [Francesco] Bagnaia because he misjudged his braking and eliminated Marc [Marquez]? As a rider, I personally would have found that really hard to take; I’d feel like I didn't have the emotional support.”
Read also
MotoGP paddock largely backs Bezzecchi despite punishment
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The general view was also far more forgiving on Bezzecchi, not for the gesture, but the punishment. KTM’s Pedro Costa was particularly strong, saying:
"It was a harsh penalty, I think the harshest I've ever seen. It's true, this is a sport that children can watch on TV, but it's the parents who teach you what's right and what's wrong.
“We're full of adrenaline, you just crashed and maybe you have a new engine, everyone should be old enough to separate things, although I still think the penalty, even if harsh, was correct. We must respect those who work in this sport; without marshals, we wouldn't be racing, it's a penalty due to respect."
Title rival Marc Marquez gave a similar take, adding:
"There's already been too much noise on social media. It can happen, we're young. We're learning things in front of millions of people, so in that moment, with all the adrenaline, the frustration of the crash, it can happen. He certainly learned something and it won't happen again. Most of us are between 20 and 30, so we all have a lot to learn in life."
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