Marco Bezzecchi
Marco Bezzecchi secured his second win of the MotoGP season in dominant fashion at the Portugal Grand Prix.
With one race to go, his grip on third place in the MotoGP standings is firm, with Francesco Bagnaia 35 points behind and Pedro Acosta 38 behind. Yet again, Aprilia showed why they have the bike to beat on high-speed circuits, growing into the weekend with every session that passed.
Recent form suggests that Bezzecchi could be a contender for the title next season, particularly if Marc Marquez takes some time to get back up to speed when he returns. At the Portugal Grand Prix, he didn’t lose the lead once and produced the performance of a champion.
Bezzecchi says being friends with Marc Marquez would be ‘stupid’, showing that he already has the mindset needed to be at the top. Aprilia have suffered without Jorge Martin being around in 2025, and when he returns next year, they might be even faster.
READ MORE: Marco Bezzecchi responds when asked if he’s the ‘strongest rider’ on the grid with Marc Marquez out
Marco Bezzecchi got the ‘perfect’ start for Aprilia at the Portugal Grand Prix
Bezzecchi has lauded Aprilia’s ‘spectacular’ work, but doesn’t think they can be considered quicker than Ducati yet. Being without Marquez at the post-season test is a dent to their 2026 preparations and presents an opportunity for Aprilia.
Having been on a Ducati with VR46 last year while Marquez was at the rival satellite team Gresini, he’ll have a good understanding of his riding. It’s something that will pay dividends when he goes up against him next year.
Now, TNT Sports’ Sylvain Guintoli has noticed how Bezzecchi’s Portugal win was set up by one ‘perfect’ piece of execution at the start of the race.
“It was really important for Bezzecchi,” he said. “The strategy was definitely to get the holeshot, and to try and check out, and that’s just what he did, you know. It was perfect off the line for the Aprilia.
“Straight away, making sure that nobody could come past into turn three, closing those doors. I think he closed the door as well into turn five. He knew he had the pace, and he just executed perfectly.
“He had Pedro Acosta right behind him, he just shut those doors, and once he could do his rhythm comfortably, it was just impressive. The bike looked so settled.”
How Marco Bezzecchi has helped Aprilia to transform their MotoGP bike
Since just before the summer break, Aprilia have been a whole lot better than they looked like they would be at the start of the season.
At nine of the last 12 events, Bezzecchi has scored a podium in the sprint or Grand Prix, and that’s during a debut season on a new type of bike.
Before 2025, all he knew was Ducati, but the way he has adapted and led a new team (when he wasn’t expected to) has been admirable.
He’s earned the right to at least be on level ground with teammate and champion Martin when he returns, which will be a welcome headache for Aprilia.
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