Marco Bezzecchi
Marco Bezzecchi has drawn comparisons to Valentino Rossi following his historic feat at Mugello that saw him claim his and Aprilia’s first-ever victory at the Italian Grand Prix.
The championship leader further bolstered his lead in the MotoGP standings following a 3.5-second victory over title rival and Aprilia teammate Jorge Martin. He now sits 17 points clear at the top of the championship.
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He is currently on course to secure his first world title in the premier class, and could potentially become the second rider from Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Riders’ Academy to achieve the feat, following Francesco Bagnaia’s success in 2022 and 2023.
The seven-time MotoGP world champion seems to be rubbing off on Bezzecchi, with a multitude of figures inside the premier class paddock comparing his demeanour and racecraft to that of the iconic Italian legend.
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Ruben Xaus says Marco Bezzecchi is now showing ‘flashes’ of Valentino Rossi’s ‘DNA’
During a post-Italian Grand Prix episode of the Duralavita podcast, former MotoGP rider Ruben Xaus pointed out Bezzecchi’s demeanour in recent press conferences as an indication that the Aprilia star is now showing ‘flashes’ of Rossi.
“Bezzecchi, we’ve been saying for days here that he’s got Valentino Rossi’s DNA,” Xaus said. “He has been keeping a bit quieter lately when it comes to, shall we say, communications, press conferences or speaking in public, and that has calmed things down a bit.
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‘Bezzecchi is bringing out that Valentino Rossi, because his comments have flashes of Valentino Rossi in them. He speaks English, stops, then he speaks Italian, and people applaud that.
“It’s catching on, it’s bringing back those memories of what Valentino Rossi was really like.”
The Doctor’s impact on the sport cannot be overstated. Even Ducati boss Davide Tardozzi recently highlighted how Rossi’s absence from the MotoGP grid is still a ‘problem’ for the sport, due to the fact that his charisma simply cannot be replaced.
However, Bezzecchi may just be the next best thing.
The ‘atmosphere’ during Marco Bezzecchi’s Italian GP victory was akin to Valentino Rossi’s heyday
What’s more, MotoGP journalist Izaskun Ruiz also made a note of how incredible the atmosphere was in the aftermath of Bezzecchi’s win at Mugello, after highlighting how the race had never quite been the same since Rossi retired in 2021.
“At Mugello, what we saw again were the hillsides full of people who’d been camping there since Thursday,” she said. “This had been lost a bit, especially since Valentino retired, even though Pecco has won world championships and so on.
“But yesterday was Sunday, and it was just like that, the same atmosphere as back then, and the same traffic jam getting out of the circuit as back then.”
Rossi won an incredible seven Italian GPs in a row between 2002 and 2008, with his bravery during the rain-soaked 2004 edition of the race still holding a place in the hearts of the majority of MotoGP fanatics.
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