Marco Bezzecchi
Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia could be the biggest threat to Marc Marquez and Ducati in 2026. Bezzecchi finished the year as the form rider on the grid.
The Aprilia rider won the last two Grands Prix of the season, finishing with a total of six victories (including Sprints). He also scored a podium in nine of the last 14 events.
That run of form was enough for Bezzecchi to finish third in the championship. Statistically, it was his best season yet in the premier class.
Who is the biggest threat to Marc Marquez in 2026?
But one important caveat was that Marquez was absent for the final four rounds, having injured his shoulder in an incident with Bezzecchi at Mandalika. The question is whether the Italian can maintain his form when the world champion returns.
Marco Bezzecchi: There’s no point turning up if I don’t think I can beat Marc Marquez
In an interview with Speedweek, Bezzecchi was asked whether he considers Marquez ‘invincible’. While he acknowledges that the seven-time MotoGP champion is ‘the strongest rider on the grid’, he stressed the importance of self-belief.
From his perspective, there’s no point in attending the races if he doesn’t truly believe he can dethrone Marquez.
Only two riders have stopped a fully-fit Marquez from winning the title – Jorge Lorenzo in 2015 and Jorge Martin last year. In the latter case, Martin was riding a superior Ducati.
“Let’s put it this way: I see him as the benchmark, the strongest rider at the moment,” Bezzecchi said. “That’s for sure. It can’t be any other way, because he won the world championship with five races to go.
A Marc Marquez beater?
“We both crashed in Indonesia, and as a result, the season didn’t end the way I had imagined. It would have been great to continue battling with him and hope to beat him in a direct duel.
“But I think you’re doing something wrong if you leave home thinking that the best result you can achieve is second place. That said, it’s fair to see Marc for what he is – incredibly strong, a great champion.
“But it’s also fair to believe in yourself. I’m not saying you should be arrogant, but a little bit – that you should believe you’re the strongest, so you can go to the races and give it your all.
“That’s obviously not easy, because when you’re competing against him – not just him, but the entire MotoGP starting grid – you know they’re the best riders in the world. But to compete against them, you have to believe in yourself.”
There are five contenders for the 2025 MotoGP title, according to Marc Marquez
Marquez sees Bezzecchi as one of his opponents for 2026. He was in the shadow of Martin when he first joined Aprilia, but he took over as the team leader following the Spaniard’s injury.
Marquez also named Pedro Acosta, who made a late-season surge just like Bezzecchi. He may not have won a race, but he appears to have made a step forward in terms of consistency, having finished the year with nine straight top-five finishes.
What of the other contenders? Alex Marquez would be happy to finish runner-up again, and Francesco Bagnaia is an unknown quantity.
The pre-2025 version of Bagnaia could push Marquez, but he won’t be a factor in the race whatsoever if his struggles persist.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
