The Battle for Supremacy: Bikes or Riders?
Aprilia suffered its first defeat of the year at Jerez last Sunday, where Alex Marquez claimed victory for Gresini Ducati. Factory Aprilia riders Marco Bezzecchi and Martin finished second and fourth respectively, but Martin believes the two Italian manufacturers are evenly matched.
Key Highlights:
- Jorge Martin insists there is “no gap” between Aprilia and Ducati after Jerez, saying performance differences are minimal and rider ability is now the key factor
- Martin believes the title fight will be shaped by riders rather than machinery, naming a season-long battle between top names across both manufacturers
- Pedro Acosta says Ducati have “woken up again” after Alex Marquez’s win, suggesting a clear step forward in pace since MotoGP returned to Europe
- Marc Marquez acknowledges he is not feeling as comfortable as last season, despite insisting he is fully fit following his crash at the Spanish GP
“No sense comparing the bikes”
Asked whether Ducati had closed the gap, Martin replied: “There is no gap. I think there is no sense to continue comparing Aprilia with Ducati.”
He added: “The Aprilia and the Ducati are different. One is faster in one point, the other one is faster in another one. Today, a Ducati won, an Aprilia was second, I was fourth—it’s a mix. I think it will be like this all season.”
Martin suggested the title fight will be decided more by riders than machinery: “Ducati versus Aprilia, or Marquez versus Martin versus Bezzecchi. It’s more about the rider than the bike at the moment.”
Acosta admits Ducati “woke up again”
Pedro Acosta, who finished 10th on a difficult weekend for KTM, was more direct in his assessment, saying Ducati appear to have taken a step forward as the championship returned to Europe.
“It’s clear that Ducati woke up again,” said the Spanish rider, who also commented on Marc Marquez’s struggles at Jerez. Marquez crashed at the Criville right-hander and again missed out on leading the Ducati pack, with Alex Marquez instead setting the pace.
Questions over Marquez form continue
Acosta suggested Marquez may still not be fully comfortable following his injury issues last season in Indonesia.
“It looks like since Indonesia, he’s not riding as comfortably as he was last year,” Acosta said. “It’s quite strange to see Marc crashing in this type of corner.”
However, Marquez insisted he is fully fit, while admitting he is still not feeling at his previous level.
“For some reason, at the moment I’m not feeling like last year,” he said. “Last year I was riding in an easy way, always in a good position on the bike. This year, I’m not able to do it.”
