Marco Bezzecchi
Marco Bezzecchi is set to race alongside Jorge Martin for the first time this weekend. Aprilia confirmed on Tuesday that Martin would travel to the Grand Prix of Qatar with the intention to compete.
Martin has missed the first three races of the season after suffering two injuries during the winter, both of which required surgery. Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori has deputised.
But the 2024 world champion is expected to return to the track at Lusail. While he still needs one final all-clear from doctors on Thursday, there’s optimism that they won’t stand in his way.
Martin might not race in the Qatar Grand Prix, instead only taking part in practice if the pain proves too severe. MotoGP heads to his home country of Spain a fortnight later.
In his absence, Bezzecchi has scored 24 points after joining Aprilia from VR46. That leaves him eighth in the championship ahead of this weekend’s race.
Marco Bezzecchi admits he wouldn’t ‘go to dinner’ with Aprilia teammate Jorge Martin
Speaking to the official MotoGP website, Bezzecchi addressed his relationship with Martin. Their eagerly awaited partnership is finally set to begin.
Martin is expected to have the edge given his superior credentials, but there’s an extra layer to their rivalry after their previous battles in the lower classes. They competed for the title in Moto3 in 2018.
It was Martin who won the title, with Fabio di Giannantonio second and Bezzecchi third. Two years later, they competed at the front of Moto2, and this time the Italian had the edge (they were P4 and P5).
In a brutally honest assessment, Bezzecchi admits he and Martin aren’t close enough to ‘go to dinner’. He is, however, hopeful that they will grow closer, rather than further apart, as teammates.
“In the past, we had some tough times, especially when we were younger – at the beginning of Moto2, Moto3,” he said. “We always had some troubles. Sometimes we were angry with each other.
“Now we’ve grown up a lot. Fortunately, now our relationship is okay. Of course, we are not best friends. I would not go to dinner with him.
“We respect each other, I respect him a lot because he’s an unbelievable rider, always really fast, always really strong. I think he does the same with me.
“Now we are feeling good. Hopefully sharing the box this season can improve our relationship day by day. Maybe at the end of the year we’ll go to dinner!”
Aprilia may change their minds about Marco Bezzecchi after first MotoGP races
There was a great deal of hype around Bezzecchi after his performances in pre-season testing. He looked set to thrive as the team leader with Martin sidelined.
Veteran MotoGP manager Carlo Pernat picked Bezzecchi to be the surprise of the season. He’d finished down in 12th in the 2024 standings, so it was perhaps a surprise to see him receive a factory offer.
Davide Tardozzi called Bezzecchi ‘exceptional’ after the winter running, suggesting that even the mighty Ducati viewed him as a threat. But as it turns out, Trackhouse rookie Ai Ogura – the lead Aprilia despite his Argentina disqualification – has outshone the three-time race-winner.
Aprilia were pleasantly surprised by Bezzecchi at first, but it’s hard to say he’s exceeded expectations during competitive sessions. In fact, he may have underperformed up to this point.
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