Aprilia's Rivola Reflects on “Stupid” Crash at Hungarian GP

Massimo Rivola, the head of Aprilia, expressed frustration over the embarrassing incident involving three of the team's riders during the opening lap of the Hungarian Grand Prix. The crash, which took place at the Balaton Park Circuit, resulted in championship frontrunners Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin, along with Trackhouse's Raul Fernandez, retiring from the race early.

The mishap began when Martin lost control at Turn 1, crashing down and inadvertently taking Bezzecchi with him. As Bezzecchi fell, he collided with Fernandez, Fermin Aldeguer, and Fabio di Giannantonio, who was the only one among them to finish the race. Following the accident, both Martin and Bezzecchi visited the medical center, where scans revealed no serious injuries.

Rivola lamented the incident's impact on the team, stating, “When we crash, we have another Aprilia or even two in the middle, and we look so stupid.” He emphasized that the responsibility for the crash ultimately lay with Martin, urging riders to exercise caution at the start of races.

Reflecting on the errors leading to the crash, Rivola noted that while Martin's previous mishap at the Motegi sprint race stemmed from over-braking, the mistake in Hungary was related to improper brake application at the resurfaced Turn 1. “It was a smaller mistake, but the same outcome. For us, even worse,” he added.

Despite the challenging circumstances, Rivola acknowledged the importance of safety, expressing relief that no serious injuries occurred. “What is frustrating to me is that it was one of our riders who made that kind of mistake at the first corner - and we must avoid that,” he concluded.