Aprilia sweeps Mandalika top four as team orders loom

Aprilia swept the top four places at the Indonesian Grand Prix, but the result did not widen Jorge Martin’s narrow championship lead over Marc Marquez. The outcome has prompted the team to discuss guidelines for its riders and whether to introduce team orders before anyone is mathematically eliminated from title contention. Marco Bezzecchi won at Mandalika, ahead of Raul Fernandez, Martin and Ai Ogura. Martin finished third while Marquez, riding for Ducati, came sixth, leaving Martin two points ahead in the championship. Bezzecchi is 46 points behind Martin, with five rounds and a maximum of 185 points still available. Aprilia technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini said the riders currently have complete freedom, while the team is discussing guidelines intended to avoid problems. He said Aprilia might consider unrestricted team orders in a few races, but also said there was no set deadline. Other reports of his comments described a one-or-two-race period before a decision, leaving the precise timing unsettled. Sterlacchini’s remarks distinguish preventive guidance from orders that would direct riders to change positions.