Aprilia Is Its Own Worst Enemy, but Marquez Isn’t Stealing Anything: He’s on Another Level

The Noale team continues to throw away points through mistakes, thereby helping the reigning MotoGP champion on his way to a tenth title—a lead in the overall standings he is nonetheless fully deserving of.

The sprint race at Phillip Island could prove to have been a decisive turning point in the 2026 title race. We were witnessing a heated duel between Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin when, on lap eight, the Aprilia rider crashed at Turn 8 and retired, handing the race win and the championship lead to his Ducati rival. But that wasn't all. Martinator also suffered a serious injury, ruling him out of the rest of the Australian Grand Prix. It's not yet known whether he will need surgery or if he can return to the track next weekend at Sepang. The MotoGP title race could be all but over very soon.

After the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, Marquez was eighth in the overall standings, 102 points behind Marco Bezzecchi, who had won the race and was leading the MotoGP championship at the time. With plenty of Grands Prix still to come, the championship certainly couldn't be considered settled, but it was only natural to see Aprilia as the clear favorite to claim the 2026 MotoGP crown. But trouble began for the Noale team at the following round in Hungary.

The long race at Balaton Park saw a spectacular disaster, with Martin taking Bezzecchi out and causing both riders to retire. In Brno, the Rimini rider crashed in the sprint race, hit a marshal, and was disqualified from Sunday's race. At Assen, he crashed in the main race, then crashed again in qualifying at the Sachsenring, injuring himself and missing the rest of the weekend. Another Sunday crash at Misano cost him more points. In the sprint race in Indonesia, he collided with Raul Fernandez at the start and retired once again. Bez is now third in the championship, 50 points behind Marquez.

Martin has made far fewer mistakes than his teammate and it is precisely his consistency that has kept him near the top of the overall standings. In 2026, he has won just one main race, at Le Mans, where he scored his first and only Aprilia double. After the disaster in Hungary, today's retirement in Australia is his first zero in the last ten Grands Prix. Naturally, it carries significant weight, as the MotoGP title race has reached its decisive phase and there are fewer and fewer rounds remaining. The fact that Jorge suffered yet another injury at Phillip Island makes matters even worse. Without the injury, things would be different, but right now we don't even know whether Martinator will be able to race at Sepang. His dream of becoming MotoGP world champion for a second time could slip away.

Aprilia has made plenty of mistakes, and Marquez has been superb at taking advantage of them almost every time. He has vast experience and a sharp racing mind, and he is putting both to good use against his rivals. His lead in the overall standings is thoroughly deserved.

We should also remember that the Ducati rider began the season in far from ideal physical condition, as his right arm was still suffering the effects of the crash caused by Bezzecchi in the 2025 Indonesian Grand Prix. He crashed in the Sprint at Le Mans and was injured. He missed the French Grand Prix, underwent surgery, and was also absent from the Catalan Grand Prix weekend. He returned to the track at Mugello, where he struggled, but then began a fantastic comeback without making a single mistake that could have led to a crash and retirement. And when fifth, sixth, or seventh was the best he could manage, that's where he finished. He is managing his body, his ambition, his bike—everything—perfectly. Every move is carefully planned from Friday's practice sessions onward.

There are still moments when instinct takes over, though he keeps it much more in check than he used to, because he knows that mistakes can cost him points and have physical consequences. He's a phenomenon—we've known that for a long time. To beat someone like Marc, you have to raise your game, and that can also lead rivals to make mistakes. Aprilia will certainly have regrets if they fail to win the 2026 MotoGP title, but being beaten by a champion like Marquez is part and parcel of racing. If you're not perfect, he's there, ready to beat you.

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