Aprilia Clears the Air After Mandalika Collision
Marco Bezzecchi and Raul Fernandez cleared the air in a closed-door Aprilia team meeting in Indonesia following a first-lap collision at Mandalika that left the Spanish rider with two fractured fingers and sidelined his race pace, as reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The summit brought together team executives Massimo Rivola and Davide Brivio alongside their four riders ahead of what would become a historic Sunday sweep for the Italian manufacturer. Tensions had flared late Saturday when Fernandez publicly criticized Bezzecchi’s defensive racing line through the opening corner, but Sunday morning’s face-to-face dialogue reset the garage dynamic before the premier class lined up on the grid.
Urgent Intervention Breaks Pre-Race Protocol
The meeting broke from traditional pre-race protocol, replacing standard starting-grid strategies with an urgent intervention to manage internal friction. With championship points critical for Jorge Martin and the manufacturer standings, executives Rivola and Brivio stepped in to lower the temperature after Saturday’s Sprint race chaos.
Fernandez voiced sharp frustration immediately following the Saturday incident, arguing that Bezzecchi had prioritized blocking his path over executing a clean launch. The collision resulted in fractures to Fernandez’s right index finger, forcing the Trackhouse Racing rider to alter his braking mechanics by switching to his middle finger for the Sunday Grand Prix.
Bezzecchi Defends Line as Fernandez Relents
Bezzecchi pushed for the morning summit specifically to address any perception of deliberate contact. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian rider maintained that his racing line drifted wide unintentionally and affected Fernandez no differently than any other competitor on the grid, noting that he also suffered consequences from the maneuver.
“Non voglio sprecare energie,” Bezzecchi stated on Saturday when informed of his teammate’s initial remarks, signaling a desire to avoid a prolonged feud given that both riders are under contract with Aprilia for the next two seasons.
Fernandez adopted a more conciliatory tone once the initial anger subsided.
From Garage Friction to Historic Triumph
Physical proximity during Sunday morning’s warm-up session tested the newly mended relationship as the riders ran closely aligned start practice drills. Any lingering doubts vanished by the afternoon when both riders celebrated in the retro-podio area following an unprecedented result.
Yet by Sunday afternoon, Aprilia locked out the top four positions in the main event at Mandalika, turning an internal crisis into the most successful race day in the manufacturer’s history.
“Mi sento parte di questa famiglia, del progetto. L’Aprilia mi ha salvato la carriera nel momento più nero,” Fernandez acknowledged, reflecting on his rehabilitation within the manufacturer’s ranks.
Worth a look
