Neil Hodgson saw Marco Bezzecchi do something ‘strange’ en route to Australian Grand Prix Sprint win

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Marco Bezzecchi won the Sprint Race at the 2025 MotoGP Australian Grand Prix, but only after one thing the Aprilia rider did at Phillip Island left Neil Hodgson befuddled.

The 26-year-old is now a four-time career MotoGP Sprint winner after taking his third Sprint win of the 2025 season this Saturday at Phillip Island. Only Jorge Martin (16), Marc Marquez (15) and Francesco Bagnaia (12) have won more Sprint Races than Bezzecchi boasts to date.

Aprilia ace Bezzecchi also ultimately held a comfortable 3.149-second lead over Trackhouse racer Raul Fernandez to win the Sprint at the Australian GP, despite only overtaking the 24-year-old for P1 on Lap 10 of 13. The Italian took the lead with an intelligent move at Turn 2.

Fernandez had the legs on Bezzecchi to hold the Rimini native off into Turn 1. But Bezzecchi taking a wider line on the exit of Doohan Corner let him carry more speed for the run to the Southern Loop, where he dived to the inside and left Fernandez with no chance to respond.

Marco Bezzecchi made ‘strange’ mistakes under braking for a rider with his experience in the Phillip Island Sprint

Yet, mere moments before Bezzecchi took the lead of the Phillip Island Sprint Race, the four-time career MotoGP Grand Prix winner befuddled Hodgson after he ran deep under braking for Turn 4. His moment at the Miller hairpin was also not the first time that he had run deep.

READ MORE: Everything to know about the Australian Grand Prix, including past winners

Bezzecchi had gained on Fernandez at Turns 1, 2 and 3, but he could not get close enough to try a pass for the lead. Ultimately, they proved to be warm-ups for Lap 10 when Bezzecchi overtook Fernandez to win the Australian GP Sprint, having learnt his lessons from Lap 9/13.

“It’s a strange one that,” Hodgson told TNT Sports 2 (18/10, 05:15) after Bezzecchi ran deep under braking for the Miller hairpin. “He keeps sort of getting himself in a bit of No Man’s Land in the braking zone, which, for a rider of Marco’s experience, seems a bit strange.”

Marco Bezzecchi could still win the Australian Grand Prix despite his double long lap penalty

Sunday’s Australian GP will be Bezzecchi’s 79th career MotoGP Grand Prix start, and also his 171st across all three world championship classes. But his chances to get an 11th career win and fifth in the premier class so far will be hindered by the Italian’s double long lap penalty.

Bezzecchi has to serve a double long lap penalty in the Australian GP after causing a crash in the Indonesian Grand Prix with Ducati’s Marc Marquez. The Aprilia rider was not attempting an overtake when he hit Marquez from behind at Mandalika’s Turn 7, which took them out.

The penalty leaves Bezzecchi with a tough task to score the first double of his career, but his pace around Phillip Island will not make winning the Australian GP impossible. Bezzecchi set the fastest lap of the Australian GP Sprint twice, with a 1:27.134 on L4 and a 1:27.122 on L7.