Marco Bezzecchi
Massimo Rivola appeared to rebuke Trackhouse boss Davide Brivio after the incident between Jorge Martin and Raul Fernandez during the Catalan Grand Prix.
The two RS-GP26 riders collided at turn five at the second restart, effectively ending Martin’s hopes of scoring points. While the Spaniard remounted, he found himself detached at the back of the field.
Fernandez also kept going but missed out on the points in P16. It was a weekend to forget for the constructors’ championship leaders, with Ai Ogura penalised for a last-corner move that took out Pedro Acosta.
Did Massimo Rivola have every right to be annoyed with Davide Brivio after Jorge Martin’s crash?
The Aprilia rider was taken out by Fernandez after the third restart
Ogura’s ninth-place finish on the other side of the Trackhouse garage meant that a largely out-of-sorts Marco Bezzecchi bagged Aprilia’s only significant return. He steered through the chaos to claim P5.
Neil Hodgson unimpressed by Massimo Rivola reaction to Aprilia friendly fire
After the Fernandez/Martin crash, MotoGP cameras caught Rivola approaching Fernandez in the Trackhouse garage. While their exchange was brief, the Aprilia CEO clearly made his displeasure known.
Brivio had little chance to respond but also looked frustrated, having just seen one of his riders tumble down the order.
Speaking in commentary for TNT Sports, Neil Hodgson questioned why Rivola targeted Brivio, who had been powerless to prevent the incident.
“It’s not like Davide Brivio can do anything about it!” said Hodgson. “I mean, come on! Davide Brivio didn’t need to be told that.”
VR46 have overtaken Trackhouse for second in the teams’ standings, though Aprilia still retain a 117-point lead at the top. The crash could have a bigger impact on the riders’ title fight, with Bezzecchi extending his advantage over Martin.
It’s also worth noting that Fernandez is still not guaranteed a seat next year as he approaches the expiry of his contract.
Jorge Martin and Raul Fernandez disagree over Catalan GP crash
The stewards decided not to penalise Fernandez because they saw it as a valid overtaking attempt that went wrong.
Heavily implying that Fernandez was obviously at fault, Martin said, via The Race: “I don’t have anything to say. You can see it from the television.”
But in an interview with DAZN, Fernandez accused Martin of unfairly closing the door when he saw the Trackhouse bike in his periphery.
“I’m dissatisfied with this action he’s taken,” he said. “He saw me perfectly because when he drops the bike, he picks it up and then drops it again.”
An incandescent Martin shoved Aprilia manager Paolo Bonora in the garage after the race and publicly apologised afterwards.
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