Aprilia has not introduced team orders, but the question of when they may become necessary is now being discussed inside the team. Technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini has left open the possibility of acting before any of Aprilia’s riders is mathematically eliminated from the title race. Until now, Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola has maintained that racing will remain unrestricted while even one rider retains a mathematical chance of taking the championship.

The pressure is clear from the standings. Aprilia took all four of the top positions at Mandalika, yet Jorge Martin left with only a two-point advantage over Ducati’s Marc Marquez. Every Aprilia rider is still within the mathematical calculation: Marco Bezzecchi is 46 points from the lead, Ai Ogura is 96 points away and Raul Fernandez trails by 119. Five race weekends remain, with a maximum of 185 points available.

The shrinking margin

The championship picture will tighten at every round. Once Phillip Island is complete, 148 points will remain; the figure will fall to 111 after Sepang, 74 after Qatar and 37 after Portimao, leaving only the Valencia finale. If the current gaps were unchanged, Fernandez would be the first Aprilia rider to lose mathematical contention, doing so after Sepang. That scenario is not guaranteed, however: Fernandez won at Phillip Island last season, while Ogura also has a chance of reaching Qatar still involved in the title fight.

Sterlacchini’s immediate plan is to allow one or two more races before imposing orders. Any first set of directives would initially be intended to prevent incidents rather than automatically dictate position changes. The Mandalika Sprint showed why the issue matters: Fernandez and Bezzecchi started from first and second but collided at Turn 1. Martin later surrendered the lead to Marquez because of concerns over tyre pressure.

The next-season dimension

The decision also extends beyond the current standings. Bezzecchi and Fernandez will remain with Aprilia next year, while Martin and Ogura will move to Yamaha. The team therefore has to protect its title bid while preparing for a different line-up. Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi said he expects Aprilia to use team orders sooner or later and regards that as a logical choice. Ducati has taken a similar approach in the past, trying to support Andrea Dovizioso against Marc Marquez in a title fight.