Jorge Martín has taken a 40-point lead over Marc Márquez in the MotoGP world championship, with 370 points still available, after Aprilia struck back at the British Grand Prix following the summer break. A gap that stood at 18 points doubled in Martín's favor over the weekend.
Márquez, riding for Ducati, had a difficult weekend at the British round and could only finish seventh in Sunday's race. He was not the only rider to gain ground on him: Bezzecchi also extended his own advantage over the Spaniard in the standings.
Márquez, who does not see himself as the outright favorite, said there is no clear favorite in this championship. He said a different rider can win every Sunday, and that for now the most consistent rider is championship leader Jorge Martín, who is managing the situation best. Márquez said he would try to make things difficult for his rivals, but noted that three riders are currently ahead of him, all of whom have been better than him across the 12 races held so far.
The next race that could decide the title
The championship now moves to Spain for the next round, at Aragón. Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola said what matters most is how the riders feel physically, adding that Martín is finally starting to be in good form. He said Bezzecchi has the benefit of an extra week to recover before Aragón. Rivola also flagged a concern about the venue, noting that Aragón is one of Marc Márquez's circuits.
Rivola said 370 points are still up for grabs, which he called a lot, and suggested Aragón could give an indication of who the real title contenders will be later in the season. The current standings show Martín on 240 points, Bezzecchi on 209, Ogura on 203 and Márquez on 200.
A stretch of races that could shift the balance
The Motorland circuit at Aragón has favored Márquez, who has won there for the past two years and is aiming for a third consecutive victory to tighten the title fight. Rivola said that result would put heavy pressure on Aprilia, adding that the team is also wary of what follows Aragón on the calendar: the two circuits that come next, Misano and Austria, suit Ducati very well.
Despite the caution, Rivola struck a confident tone, saying Aprilia has shown it is starting to feel comfortable at many more circuits than before. He said that with two riders like Martín and Bezzecchi and a team that is united and in good form, he would not say Aprilia fears nobody, but the team will fight until the end. There are almost 20 days before the sport returns for a race Rivola believes could shape the final battle for the title.
Concern over Márquez's form
Former rider and DAZN commentator Pol Espargaró raised one of the more striking comments about Márquez's Sunday performance. He said Márquez held back for the entire race, which he said is not the Márquez fans know, describing him normally as explosive, fast and electric. Espargaró said that when a rider cannot ride that way because the rear tire will fail sooner or later, and will fail abruptly, it becomes clear why the results are not good.
It was a poor weekend for Márquez, but he still has time to turn things around and defend his title.
