Aprilia may issue MotoGP team orders within two races

Aprilia naming a timeline — one or two races — is a public signal that the factory is prepared to subordinate one rider to the other if the championship fight demands it. That matters because it puts both Martin and his teammate on notice before the order is actually given, which changes how they race in the meantime. The phrase 'stakes are high' from Sterlacchini is doing real work here: it frames any future instruction as rational strategy rather than favouritism, managing the narrative in advance. For a manufacturer still chasing its first premier-class title, the willingness to go there openly reflects how seriously Aprilia is treating this opportunity.