Marco Bezzecchi
Neil Hodgson has shared his different opinion on Marco Bezzecchi’s performance in Thailand.
Last weekend at the opening round of the MotoGP season, Marco Bezzecchi had a mixed weekend at the Thailand Grand Prix for Aprilia.
The Italian rider claimed pole position on Saturday morning, before crashing from the lead of the Sprint Race. However, on Sunday he bounced back and took victory in a dominant way in the Grand Prix.
Bezzecchi left the opening round of the season in second place in the Championship standings, and is seven points behind Pedro Acosta, who leads the way.
Marco Bezzecchi bounces back from his Sprint crash to win in Thailand! 😍 Is this the start of his title charge?
Marco Bezzecchi can’t make mistakes if he wants to win the title
During the Gas It Out podcast, the 2003 World Superbike champion Neil Hodgson discussed his thoughts on Marco Bezzecchi’s weekend.
Hodgson’s opinion was different to the rest of the MotoGP paddock who left Thailand believing Bezzecchi had an ‘amazing’ weekend. However, he believes it was a ‘horrible weekend’ for Bezzecchi.
Hodgson, “To be honest, I might surprise you with what I am about to say. I think he had a terrible weekend. Because he had 0.3, 0.4 of a second in his pocket, and he should have won both races.
“It was a huge mistake on Saturday, three crashes, he crashed out of the Sprint, and you come away, and everyone is going ‘oh this is amazing’. But you know what, we are not using the heat-treated tyre that many times, and you have to capitalise if you are the number one rider in the factory team.
“Obviously, he did not have a horrible weekend, but you cannot make mistakes like that if you want to be a MotoGP World Champion.”
Who was your rider of the day for the Thailand Grand Prix? 🏍️
Let us know in the comments below!
Marco Bezzecchi the only rider who can challenge Ducati in 2026
Contrary to Hodgson’s belief, MotoGP agent Carlo Pernat revealed his opinion that Bezzecchi is the true antagonist to Ducati during the 2026 season.
Pernat said, “An unforgettable Sunday for Aprilia, because it is the first time that they put all these riders in the top five. A stratospheric Bezzecchi, who, as we have said before, is the only antagonist, a true antagonist, for Ducati.”
Aprilia showed their pace at the Thailand Grand Prix as the Italian manufacturer had all four of their riders inside the top five with Raul Fernandez joining Bezzecchi on the podium, Jorge Martin was in fourth, and Ai Ogura was in fifth.
The results went on to cause Francesco Bagnaia to admit that Ducati are no longer the fastest manufacturer in MotoGP.
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