Difficult sprint for Aprilia Racing at Mandalika

Oct 10, 2026 Michael Le Pard News

bezzecchi

JORGE MARTÍN FINISHES FOURTH, MARCO BEZZECCHI RETIRES. SECOND PLACE FOR AI OGURA OF SUPERFILE TRACKHOUSE MOTOGP TEAM
Aprilia Racing had a mixed Saturday at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit.

Jorge Martín got the start he needed from fifth on the grid, immediately taking the lead in the sprint. In the closing stages, an issue with his front tyre pressure forced the Spanish rider to give way, leaving him fourth at the finish.

Marco Bezzecchi’s sprint ended at turn one, after contact at the start. Fortunately, the Italian rider was unhurt but had to retire.

Ai Ogura of the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team rode superbly to finish second in the sprint, putting an RS-GP26 on the podium. Raúl Fernández also took pole position, setting the fastest qualifying time with a lap of 1:28.852.
Today we missed a chance to win. I was having a good race and controlling the gap. Then I tried to manage the front tyre pressure as best I could, even dropping in behind Márquez, but in the end I made a mistake, and that was where I lost any chance of getting back past him. It all started with the front tyre pressure problem, though. We have the speed, and I think tomorrow will give us another good chance to have a strong race.
Unfortunately, at the start we were all bunched up, and more often than not you have to adapt to what’s happening around you. It’s a shame because we had done everything right up to that point, but we still have the Grand Prix, so now we’re trying to keep our spirits up and finish the weekend as well as we can. Obviously, I’m not happy right now, but I’m still positive and fired up because we’ve worked well, and I’m confident in the kind of work we’ve done.
It was a positive day up to qualifying. Then, unfortunately, we had a nasty incident at the start, though that’s something that can happen. It’s a shame, because two Aprilia riders, Marco and Raúl, could still have been in the mix in a competitive sprint. We also had a front tyre pressure problem with Jorge, at a circuit where the high humidity makes it hard to find the right balance. We should have built in a bit more margin, but that’s what happens when you run everything on the limit. Let’s put it right tomorrow. The speed is there, and we’re confident all four of our riders can have a good race.

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