Aprilia Racing enjoyed a historic weekend at Motegi, securing two podium finishes at the Japanese Grand Prix, with Jorge Martín taking second place and Marco Bezzecchi finishing third.
Starting the race from pole position, Jorge Martín maintained a strong pace throughout the race to cross the finish line in second place.
The result marked Aprilia Racing’s first-ever premier-class podium at Motegi, while Martín continued to lead the championship standings with 333 points.
Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi, who started from fourth on the grid, made a strong start and immediately moved into third place, holding on to that position until the finish.
With this result, two Aprilia RS-GP motorcycles finished together on the Japanese Grand Prix podium for the first time in the manufacturer’s history.
The riders of the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team also delivered impressive performances. Raúl Fernández finished fifth, while Ai Ogura took sixth place, giving Aprilia four RS-GP26 motorcycles inside the top six at Motegi on Sunday.
Martín: We Have Everything We Need to Fight Until the End
After the race, Jorge Martín expressed his satisfaction with the performance and the work carried out by the team.
“I’m very happy because we’ve done a really good job. I rode well and maintained a very strong pace until the end. I tried to push until the final lap, but Márquez had something extra,” Martín said.
He emphasized that he feels comfortable on the bike and that his partnership with Aprilia is producing positive results.
“Aprilia and I are doing a really good job together. I feel good on the bike, and we have everything we need to fight until the end,” he added.
Bezzecchi: It Was a Hard-Earned Podium
Marco Bezzecchi also praised the result, acknowledging that the race became particularly challenging in the closing laps.
“I gave everything in today’s race and achieved the best possible result. It was a hard-earned podium, as Bastianini was very fast, especially towards the end,” Bezzecchi said.
He added that his next goal is to close the gap to the riders who have demonstrated stronger pace over recent race weekends.
Rivola: A Weekend of New Records for Aprilia
Aprilia Racing team principal Massimo Rivola described the weekend in Japan as another significant milestone for the team.
Alongside Martín’s pole position, he said, the double podium represented another record for Aprilia in MotoGP.
“It was an intense weekend during which Aprilia set new records, including Jorge’s pole-position lap and our first-ever double podium in a race in Japan,” Rivola said.
Following its historic result at Motegi, Aprilia Racing aims to maintain its momentum and focus as the championship continues, with Martín leading the standings and remaining firmly in the fight for the title.
