Marc Márquez takes a dig at Aprilia over team orders: “If you have the pace, you don’t need them”

Marc Márquez dismisses the issue dominating the MotoGP season finale with a quip: team orders are only for riders who aren’t fast enough. The Ducati rider arrives at the Australian Grand Prix just two points behind Jorge Martin, but the prospect of Aprilia team tactics does not seem to worry him too much.

Since the Indonesian GP, the subject has repeatedly made headlines. Ducati and Aprilia management maintain that it is still too early to resort to team orders, although the Noale-based team reportedly held a meeting with all its riders on Thursday to discuss the matter. The riders, for their part, have denied it. It is a topic that comes up at virtually every season finale. But historically, there have been very few cases in which help from a teammate has proved decisive. In a head-to-head battle like the one between Márquez and Martin (though Bezzecchi is not far behind either...), it is fair to expect the title to go to whoever... finishes ahead.

The Catalan shifted the focus to himself and his team, while also sending a clear message to the Aprilia camp. "I’ll always say that we’re a team, and as always, I’ll do my best for Ducati and my crew. As for team orders, if you have the pace, you don’t need them. You need them if you don’t. We’ll see. Right now, I’m focused on myself and will try to give 100%."

Márquez’s point is not about Martin alone. Marco Bezzecchi is also in his sights, and the Ducati rider considers him a genuine title contender: “We mustn’t think only about Jorge; Bezzecchi is also in contention for the title,” he explained, adding that the goal is to score more points than the Spaniard in every remaining race.

At Mandalika, Márquez won the Sprint and finished sixth in the main race, holding his own on a track he considers one of the toughest. Only now does he admit that he arrived with plenty of doubts. “I’ll always say that we’re a team, and as always, I’ll do my best for Ducati and my crew. As for team orders, if you have the pace, you don’t need them. You need them if you don’t. We’ll see. Right now, I’m focused on myself and will try to give 100%.”

Márquez likes the Australian circuit, with its left-hand turns where he usually performs well. But it is also a very fast track, where Aprilia shone last year. It will also be MotoGP’s last visit to Phillip Island before the move to Adelaide. “Looking at last year, though, Aprilia was much faster than everyone else here, and I expect them to be the same this year. So, during practice, we’ll need to get a good understanding of where we stand and how the Aprilia riders are doing. We’ll try to work out whether we can make up for their strength in fast corners through our performance in the left-handers, as we’ve seen throughout the season.”

The weather is also a concern, with an unpromising forecast for Saturday and Sunday. The ambition remains high, however: “I’m aiming to get as close as possible to 37 points,” Márquez said, aware that even without a double win, finishing ahead of Martin will be crucial.

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