Aprilia technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini has suggested the manufacturer could potentially implement team orders before the mathematical title threshold is officially reached. This stance contrasts slightly with Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola, who has consistently maintained that team orders would remain off the table as long as a rider retains a mathematical chance of claiming the world championship crown.
The discussion intensified following the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika, where Aprilia achieved an historic top-four lockout. Despite the stellar performance, Jorge Martin left holding the exact same two-point advantage over Ducati's Marc Marquez that he arrived with. With five rounds remaining and a maximum of 185 points still up for grabs, all four RS-GP pilots remain mathematically in the hunt.
Martin’s teammate and Mandalika victor Marco Bezzecchi sits 46 points adrift at the top, while Trackhouse Racing riders Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez trail by 96 and 119 points respectively. As the championship moves through Phillip Island, Sepang, Qatar, and Portimao before the Valencia finale, the remaining points pool will rapidly diminish.
Speaking to Sky Italia after Sunday's action, Fabiano Sterlacchini indicated that the high stakes involved might force the factory's hand sooner rather than later. As reported via Crash.net, he stated, "The stakes are high, and we must avoid 'wasting money', as has already happened." He further noted that the team would give themselves another one or two races before drawing a line in the sand and introducing strict management protocols.
Sterlacchini clarified that initial internal guidelines would primarily aim at avoiding avoidable on-track trouble rather than forcing immediate position swaps. The urgency for these directives was underscored earlier in the weekend when Raul Fernandez and Marco Bezzecchi collided at Turn 1 during the Sprint race, highlighting the inherent risks of letting four competitive RS-GP machines race completely unchecked.
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