'We’ll send him on vacation' – Aprilia's blunt Marco Bezzecchi verdict continues drama

Rivola has been using the stick rather than the carrot with his factory riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin, garnering criticism from the latter and even the legendary Jorge Lorenzo.

In Assen, he saw Martin replace Bezzecchi as riders’ championship leader in a race won by Trackhouse satellite talent Ai Ogura.

Ogura’s maiden victory was the first by a Japanese rider since 2004 and clearly the story of the weekend, but Bezzecchi’s disaster wasn’t far behind.

The Italian took a horrific 130 mph tumble at Ram's Hook and was sent straight to the hospital. Remarkably, he came away uninjured - at least physically.

His championship took heavy damage and he’s now pointless in three straight Grand Prix, including a one-race ban in Czechia for striking a marshal.

And to make matters worse, his employer had little sympathy. Speaking to Sky Italia after the race, Rivola commented:

Sadly for Bezzecchi, he’ll only get a week’s rest before the German Grand Prix, but then the summer break rolls around, where he may well find himself stewing on Rivola’s comments.

Critique is nothing new for Rivola, and it’s caused some drama between his two main riders.

The first flashpoint came when Martin was filmed shoving team manager Paolo Bonora, and then two races later in Hungary, he wiped out himself and four other riders in a first-corner error.

Rivola called it a ‘mistake a champion shouldn’t make’ and was panned by five-time world champion Lorenzo soon after:

It was then just a race later when Rivola had the chance to criticise Bezzecchi in a similar fashion when he was banned for the Czech Grand Prix for striking a marshal after a crash in Saturday’s sprint:

Despite his apparent condemnation, it wasn’t enough for Martin, who made a pointed comment speaking on Sunday:

Rivola’s stark critique of Bezzecchi’s Assen crash suggests he may well have heard Martin’s pleas.

But with Bezzecchi signed on a multi-year deal and Martin leaving the team to make way for Francesco Bagnaia, the politics of this one will run and run…