Marco Bezzecchi
Aprilia have found themselves in uncharted territory this year with Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi, and Marco Melandri has warned them about the ‘very difficult’ intra-team title fight that is expected to ensue between the two competitors.
Marco Bezzecchi has dominated all three of the Grands Prix that have already taken place this year, but his status at the top of the riders’ championship is far from comfortable.
Breathing down his neck is Aprilia teammate Jorge Martin, who sits just four points adrift of his counterpart in second place.
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While the championship is still very much in its infancy at the moment, the Spaniard’s return to full form this year has threatened to scupper the hard work that Bezzecchi has put in over the last 12 months to bridge the gap between Noale and their fierce local rivals, Ducati.
While the battle with Ducati remains a key narrative in play this year, Marco Melandri has warned Aprilia about the war that may take place inside their MotoGP garages.
- READ MORE: Massimo Rivola pinpoints exactly where ’sensitive’ Marco Bezzecchi still needs to improve
Marco Melandri predicts a ‘very difficult’ 2026 for Massimo Rivola
In an interview with Fanpage, the former MotoGP star offered his thoughts on the current rider dynamic at Aprilia, as well as the headache that Massimo Rivola will have this year due to the competitiveness of Bezzecchi and Martin.
The Italian began by comparing the two riders. “If we’re talking pure talent, Martin is probably among the best ever,” said Melandri. “Bezzecchi, however, is a skilled driver: he’s worked hard on himself, on his limits, and has grown impressively.
“In the end, though, talent only counts up to a certain point. What really matters is the result.”
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The five-time premier class Grand Prix winner was then asked how difficult it will be for Aprilia’s top brass to manage the two riders this year, to which he replied, “Very difficult.”
He then added, “As long as one of the two is clearly ahead and the other behind, everything is simpler. But when they start fighting for the championship title, everything changes.
“The internal dynamics become delicate. [Massimo] Rivola will have to be very good at maintaining balance. It’s not a trivial situation, even if they have the experience to manage it.”
- READ MORE: Jorge Martin explains why fighting Marco Bezzecchi for 2026 MotoGP title is not his ‘goal’ right now
Massimo Rivola asserts both Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi will have a fair shot at the title
Of course, an intra-team title fight begs the question of which rider the team’s leadership will look to favour once things reach a flash point.
In the case of Aprilia, Rivola has declared that they won’t be using any team orders until one of their riders is mathematically out of the championship equation.
However, MotoGP paddock insiders believe that Aprilia would prefer Bezzecchi to get his hands on the 2026 championship over Martin, but simply won’t admit it.
This is due to Martin’s expected departure from Noale at the end of the current term to instead race for Yamaha in MotoGP’s new era of regulations next year.
The decision was reportedly made ahead of the current campaign, which also raises the question of whether Martin is now regretting his move to put pen to paper with a team who are severely on the back foot.
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