Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez may not have finished the first MotoGP test in Sepang as the fastest rider, but his championship prospects look even stronger. He was always likely to be the favourite on the back of his crushing 2025 success.
Fourth fastest in the time attack runs, Marquez was outpaced by brother Alex and teammate Francesco Bagnaia in the race simulations. But he says he feels just as good as he did a year ago.
Marquez, who was back on a MotoGP bike for the first time since his Indonesian GP injury in October, knows that he must peak when it matters.
Where does Marc Marquez’s 2025 rank among the best seasons by a rider in MotoGP history?
More importantly, Ducati looked imperious in Malaysia. The handling of the bike impressed observers, the numbers daunted rivals and the feedback from the riders was overwhelmingly positive.
Alex Rins backs Marco Bezzecchi to win the MotoGP world championship?
The biggest threats to Marquez this year arguably sit outside the Ducati stable. Even Alex Marquez’s best MotoGP season wasn’t good enough to meaningfully threaten Marc, and Bagnaia isn’t seen as a serious contender after finishing 257 points adrift.
But Aprilia and Marco Bezzecchi are a legitimate dark horse. They finished 2025 with six victories, including Sprints, and were arguably the most impressive combination after the summer break, albeit aided by Marquez’s injury.
What is YOUR hot take for the 2026 MotoGP season? 🔥
At this stage, the competitiveness of the RS-GP26 is unknown. But Bezzecchi, who doubled his career win haul last year, looks ready to take the next step.
Asked by MotoGP’s official channel at the season launch for a ‘hot take’ ahead of the new season, Yamaha rider Alex Rins replied: “A different world champion? Bezzecchi can be there.”
Last year, Valentino Rossi’s half-brother Luca Marini was the only rider who didn’t pick Marquez to win the title.
Jorge Martin one of seven different winners? What were the other riders’ 2026 hot takes?
Elsewhere, Bezzecchi’s teammate Jorge Martin predicted that he would be ‘back to winning’ in 2026. The injury-hit Martin just went a whole year without a podium for the first time in his career.
Pramac’s Jack Miller can foresee seven different riders winning races, just as many as last year. Johann Zarco of LCR believes he can repeat his unforgettable French GP triumph.
Turning to the rider market, Alex Marquez thinks ‘60%’ of the grid will already be determined before the season starts in Thailand at the end of the month. At the time of writing, there have been no fresh announcements this year, even though the rumours are deafening.
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