Ducati will not repeat Aprilia’s ‘black rules’ mistake with Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta

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Ducati know they have a possibly tumultuous situation with Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta as teammates in 2027, but Aprilia are showing them exactly what not to do.

With Acosta set to join Ducati in 2027, the Italian giants are set to have one of the most formidable rider pairings next season.

Fans got a preview of how the battle between Acosta and Marc Marquez will go next season, as the two riders had an intense duel over the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.

While Acosta doesn’t have enough to beat Marquez because of the gap between Ducati and KTM, it became clear that the two will have a tense battle next season.

But some within Ducati will be concerned that Acosta and Marc Marquez’s battle could turn sour. This is why they must pay attention to Aprilia’s situation right now, and learn what not to do.

READ MORE: Marc Marquez did something Ducati didn’t expect during Pedro Acosta battle at Hungarian GP

Aprilia’s ‘Black Rules’ have not paid off the way they hoped.

With both Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin locked into an intense title fight at Aprilia this season, the team had to lay down some ground rules.

However, the team decided to stay very neutral, with Aprilia introducing McLaren-style Black Rules, where both riders were free to compete, as long as they didn’t take each other out.

This loose framework, being the ruling foundation of the team’s approach, came back to haunt Aprilia over the weekend in Hungary.

At the start of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Martin would crash and take out Bezzecchi, which would allow Marc Marquez to go on and win the race.

Had there been more fixed rules, perhaps with Aprilia picking one rider over another, such an incident wouldn’t have occurred, and either Bezzecchi or Martin could have taken or extended the lead in the championship standings.

But Aprilia could have avoided this situation by also making it clear at what points during the race Bezzecchi and Martin are allowed to be aggressive with each other, so that they could race competitively at a safer point during the race.

READ MORE: Massimo Rivola quickly realised he was wrong about Jorge Martin after Hungarian Grand Prix crash

Ducati must not repeat Aprilia’s approach to teammate battle with Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta

The way Aprilia have handled this tense battle between two very competitive teammates should serve as a warning for Ducati heading into next season.

Both Acosta and Marquez are incredibly competitive riders and are bound to clash in their individual quests to win the MotoGP world championship next season.

It is imperative for Ducati to establish ground rules for both riders, especially after seeing the ferocity of their battle this weekend, about how they can compete against each other.

If not, Ducati will find themselves in the same situation as Aprilia do right now, having two riders competing against each other in a way that could negatively impact both of them and the team.