Danilo Petrucci ‘pleased’ with the change he’s seen in Marco Bezzecchi amid Marc Marquez title fight

Add as preferred source on Google

Danilo Petrucci is “really pleased” with the “maturity” that Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia has shown as he strives to fight Ducati rider Marc Marquez for the 2026 MotoGP title.

Petrucci is clear that he is “rooting” for Bezzecchi to win his first premier class title this term, which would also be his first world championship. The 27-year-old finished third in the 2023 and 2025 MotoGP standings, just like he also achieved in Moto3 in 2018 and Moto2 in 2021.

Bezzecchi last won a title a decade ago when he lifted the 2015 CIV Moto3 crown. But the Aprilia ace could add the MotoGP title to his collection in 2026, as he leads teammate Jorge Martin atop the standings by 11 points after taking three wins through the first four rounds.

Gresini star Alex Marquez won the Spanish Grand Prix last Sunday to end Bezzecchi’s streak, during which he even led every lap. Bezzecchi set a new record by leading 121 consecutive Grand Prix laps, after he also won the final two races of last season in Portugal and Valencia.

Here’s how the championship looks after the Spanish GP! Is it Aprilia’s to lose now?

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Danilo Petrucci is ‘really pleased’ with Marco Bezzecchi’s ‘maturity’ in the 2026 title fight

Petrucci was thrilled to see Bezzecchi win the Grands Prix in Thailand, Brazil and America to start the 2026 MotoGP season, as it proved his late hurrah was not a “flash in the pan” last year. The Italian also admires the maturity that his compatriot is showing to fight for a title.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Marco Bezzecchi from net worth to race number

But while Petrucci is “rooting” for Bezzecchi, he is loath to risk “jinxing” the Rimini native’s title hopes by getting carried away that Marc Marquez of Ducati is 44 points adrift with 17 rounds remaining. Marquez has never faced a bigger deficit to the leader after four rounds.

Petrucci told GPOne: “I’m not saying anything for fear of jinxing it, because what if something does happen?

“But I’m really pleased with the maturity he’s shown, and above all, that last season’s finish wasn’t just a flash in the pan. Because this year, he’s come back probably even stronger.

“It’s going to be a long battle, mind you, because there are over 40 races, and you can’t afford to make mistakes. You have to try to stay on your feet and bring home point after point. But anyway, I’ve said it many times, I’m rooting for him.”

Only in 2015, when Jorge Lorenzo ultimately took the title, and in 2024, when Marquez was riding a one-year-old Ducati GP23 at Gresini, had the seven-time champion previously faced a double-digit deficit after the first four rounds during a year that was not affected by injury.

Marquez’s shoulder injury has played its part in his challenging start to the 2026 season, but he has contested every round so far – unlike in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The 33-year-old required surgery after injuring his shoulder last October and is not riding naturally due to it.