News Summary
- Aprilia raised safety concerns after Jorge Martín’s rear tyre deteriorated during the Motegi Sprint.
- Michelin withdrew the soft rear, while Sunday’s warm-up was extended to 20 minutes.
- Massimo Rivola says there was disagreement over the intervention before every rider ultimately raced on the hard rear.
Aprilia pushed for intervention before the Japanese Grand Prix after Jorge Martín’s damaged rear tyre raised safety concerns, according to racing CEO Massimo Rivola. The Italian revealed that agreement over the response was not immediate.
In an exclusive interview with GPOne after Sunday’s MotoGP race at Motegi, Rivola described Aprilia’s role in pressing for precautions following the Sprint.
“We took the safety issue to heart because Jorge’s tyre concerned us,” Rivola said.
The response included Michelin withdrawing the soft rear tyre from the Grand Prix allocation. Sunday’s warm-up was also doubled from ten to 20 minutes, providing additional time to evaluate the hard option.
Rivola says agreement was not immediate
Rivola explained that the concern extended to the medium rear because it shared the soft tyre’s casing. Aprilia wanted riders to have sufficient preparation time with the alternative before committing to a full Grand Prix.
“Not everyone agreed with doing this, though,” he added.
According to Rivola, safety considerations justified pressing ahead despite the disagreement. He believed a shorter warm-up could have left some riders more inclined to choose the medium without understanding its behaviour over race distance.
That was Rivola’s assessment of the potential risk, rather than a prediction that a tyre failure was inevitable. His concern was the lack of evidence about how the available options would behave late in the race.
Hard rear was recommended, not compulsory
Michelin’s decision removed the soft rear from Sunday’s choices. The medium remained permitted, while the reinforced hard was recommended rather than mandatory.
The longer warm-up gave teams additional track time to assess the hard, which had received little attention earlier in the weekend. Every rider ultimately selected it for the Grand Prix.
The intervention followed a Sprint in which Martín suffered severe rear-tyre deterioration and Francesco Bagnaia returned to the pits before the finish. The problems changed preparations for Sunday without imposing compulsory pit stops or shortening the race.
Rivola welcomed the outcome and did not use the episode to blame Michelin. He acknowledged the challenge posed by Motegi’s new surface and the supplier’s efforts to account for overheating.
Tyre controversy preceded another Márquez–Martín duel
Marc Márquez won Sunday’s race ahead of Martín, with Marco Bezzecchi completing the podium. The result gave Márquez a weekend double after his Sprint victory.
Martín nevertheless retained the championship lead with 333 points, just two ahead of Márquez on 331. The tyre controversy therefore became a significant part of a weekend that also tightened the title contest.
MotoGP returns from 9–11 October for the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action.
MotoGP today: FAQ
Who won the Japanese MotoGP race today?
Marc Márquez won the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, finishing 1.363s ahead of Jorge Martín. Marco Bezzecchi completed the podium, while Márquez secured a weekend double after also winning Saturday’s Sprint.
Who leads the MotoGP championship after the Japanese GP?
Jorge Martín remains the MotoGP championship leader with 333 points, just 2 ahead of Marc Márquez on 331. Márquez’s two victories in Japan reduced the gap from 12 points at the start of the weekend.
When is the next MotoGP race?
The next MotoGP race is the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika on Sunday, 11 October 2026. The weekend runs from 9–11 October.
