Talking points: "I think the whole factory has to be proud"

The British GP delivered high drama, with Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) claiming his first MotoGP victory for Aprilia, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) forced to retire due to a technical issue, and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) crashing out. A red flag added to the drama, shaping an unforgettable race. As the paddock leaves Silverstone, plenty of storylines have emerged, on and off the track, so let’s take a closer look at the key talking points from an unforgettable weekend.

Bezzecchi enjoyed a standout weekend, charging through the field after starting P10 on the grid. In the opening stages, Bezzecchi entered the podium battle, soon inheriting the lead after a retirement from Quartararo. The Italian held onto victory, crossing the line to become the 11th different winner in a row at Silverstone, leading to an emotional day for both Bezzecchi and the Aprilia.

"I’m proud, I’m happy. But I think the whole factory has to be proud. As I said already many times, it was not an easy period for them with the injury of Jorge, who was, I don't want to say main rider, but he almost is, because he is the World Champion. It was not an easy start for them. I just tried to work as much as I could to bring them what they deserve."

It has been a hectic period for Aprilia, with their star signing, Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), continuing to recover following his crash in Qatar. However, Massimo Rivola believes that the British GP is a positive step for the Italian brand, proving that their bike can win a Grand Prix, as he sent his best wishes and respects to Martin.

"First of all, we proved to ourselves. Because when you pass quite a difficult time, maybe you start doubting that you are not following the right path, because in Noale people are working hard night and day.

"Today we proved that the bike can win, but we need to do it many more times. We cannot say more than that. The only thing that I feel for him is that when you are a rider, when you are such a good athlete and you spend most of your time in bed, in the hospital suffering, nobody can know how fast the bad time is passing. So I think this is something that we have to respect."