As the championship battle between Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez continues in the MotoGP, the involvement of team principals in the Aprilia camp has announced that the Trackhouse riders, Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura, will compete in the Indonesian Grand Prix but will act cautiously towards their teammates in the championship fight.
The balance in the MotoGP championship battle has changed again. Marc Marquez, as a rider who has won both Sprint and Grand Prix victories, has reduced the gap with Jorge Martin to only two points. Aprilia is coming to Mandalika at a time when four riders out of six are mathematically in contention for the championship by the end of the season. This means that the results of the Trackhouse Racing riders could directly affect the championship fight alongside the factory team.
The Role of Trackhouse Riders in the Championship Battle
With Jorge Martin maintaining a lead of 2 points before the Indonesian Grand Prix, his teammate Marco Bezzecchi is in third place with a 49-point deficit from the leader. The gap in the Trackhouse camp is 96 points for Ai Ogura and 117 points for Raul Fernandez. With a total of 222 points to be gained over the remaining six races of the season, four Aprilia riders are mathematically in contention for the championship. The Aprilia management stated that they will not consider implementing team orders as long as any of their riders has a chance to win the championship.
Raul Fernandez's Approach
Raul Fernandez, who achieved his first Sprint podium at Mandalika last season, said that this weekend's priority is to achieve the best possible result for Trackhouse.
Be cautious if necessary in the last two races
Fernandez also admitted that he might reassess his approach if the championship standings change in the latter part of the season.
If we can win, we must win. I am not considering team orders right now.
These statements suggest that focusing on a single rider in the championship fight might be postponed until the final races of the season.
Ai Ogura's Cautious Approach
Ai Ogura spoke more cautiously about how he would act against Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi in a potential on-track battle. The Japanese rider said that he would not create unnecessary risks for Aprilia's championship contenders but would also seize a safe overtaking opportunity.
If Jorge or Bezzecchi is in front of me, I will not do anything foolish. But if I feel I can pass safely, I will definitely try.
Ogura stated that the decision would depend on the race conditions.
It depends entirely on the situation we are in. Normally, if a rider can pass the competitor in front of him, they should.
This approach shows that the Trackhouse riders are not currently competing with team orders directly, but they are not ignoring Aprilia's championship fight.
The Importance of Mandalika
The Indonesian Grand Prix is considered one of the races where Aprilia can gain an advantage against Ducati. The RS-GP showed a strong performance at Mandalika last season. However, Fernandez believes that the results from last year are not guaranteed this year.
Last year we were very competitive here, but this time we have fewer tire options. We need to see how we manage the tires.
Fernandez won the Grand Prix in Silverstone, a track known for its flowing corners, in August. Therefore, he believes that Mandalika offers him an opportunity to achieve a strong result again.
If we can show our capability, there is no need to think about another rider. I want to see if we can be strong here.
All four Aprilia riders have won a Grand Prix in the 2026 season. However, as the final stage of the championship fight approaches, how this strong lineup will be managed becomes increasingly important. The priority for the Trackhouse riders at Mandalika will be their own success. Whether team orders will actually come up depends on how the fight between Martin and Marquez will play out in the upcoming races.
Statements
If we need to do something different for the championship in the last two races, we will wait. Right now, we are racing for Trackhouse and we must achieve the best possible result for our team.
I will not do anything foolish against Martin or Bezzecchi.
It could be fun for our rider to compete in the front. But, as we have seen this season, we cannot directly refer to last year.
Figures
- Jorge Martin is in 1st place in the 2026 MotoGP season with 355 points (Aprilia Racing Team).
- Archive: [Jorge Martin: "Not enough speed to compete against Marquez"]](/news/agenda/jorge-martin-marqueze-karsi-mucadele-etmek-icin-hiz-yeterli-degil) (October 11, 2026)
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Go to sourceCompiled by Şükrü Utku Poyraz
