First Podium in the Austrian GP for Aprilia Racing

The long race in the Grand Prix of Austria ended with ups and downs for Aprilia Racing. On one hand, there was the joy of Marco Bezzecchi’s podium finish, but on the other, there was a bitter taste due to Jorge Martín’s crash. The Italian rider moved into the lead straight away at the first turn, maintaining the position for a good part of the race with great determination. In the final stages, he yielded the top spot, finishing with an excellent third place to give Aprilia Racing their sixth podium of the season, including victory in Silverstone. This result is also the best placement ever for the Manufacturer from Noale on this track, historically one of the toughest for the RS-GP.

It was a more complicated day for Jorge Martín who, after a good start and an intense battle in the early stages, fell victim to a crash on the fourteenth lap. Fortunately, the Spanish rider suffered no physical consequences, but the incident compromised any chance of bringing home a good result.

MARCO BEZZECCHI: “I am extremely pleased; it was a brilliant race. Considering the way we began Friday, closing out the weekend with pole position and a podium is incredible. I am truly satisfied with the work done together with the team. The battle in the lead was fantastic and I gave it my all. Now we’ll be looking ahead to the next race in Balaton.”

JORGE MARTÍN: “I started well, but maybe I was a bit too cautious. I tried to maintain the position, but in the early laps, the others began to overtake me straight away. I’m still lacking a bit of experience in those opening stages of the race, where I need to have that aggressiveness. I went from 14th to 9th, and then back to 14th. The front pressure was extremely high. Yesterday, I managed to ride more comfortably and in a more fluid way, but today I was at the limit of my possibilities in a situation that is new for me, because I had never ridden the bike with such high pressures. It’s a pity about the crash, but fortunately there were no physical consequences.”

MASSIMO RIVOLA: “An extremely good weekend for Aprilia Racing. Seeing Marco’s RS-GP25 in pole position was thrilling on a track that is not one of the most favourable to our bike – which is proving to grow everywhere. Marco’s race was exemplary and he had us convinced that we could achieve a result which, objectively speaking, is still not within our potential here. Finishing on the podium here and being so close to the winner is a sign that the Aprilia-Bez combination is already ripe. Fortunately, Jorge did not suffer any physical consequences after the crash. Beyond this, there are various positive aspects about his weekend. It will just take some miles under his belt and everything will come naturally. I have no doubt whatsoever.”

credit: Aprilia