Marco Bezzecchi
Michael Laverty has pointed out a key Marco Bezzecchi trait that can ease any concerns after his crash at the Czech Grand Prix Sprint.
On Saturday morning in Brno, Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura secured pole position ahead of VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio and Ducati star Francesco Bagnaia.
Meanwhile, Aprilia rider and MotoGP world championship leader Bezzecchi qualified in P4, ahead of seven-time champion Marc Marquez and LCR rising star Diogo Moreira.
Before the Sprint got underway, there was a big announcement as Gresini confirmed the withdrawal of Alex Marquez, who was making his return after suffering a huge accident at the Catalan Grand Prix.
At the start of the Sprint, Bagnaia launched off the line brilliantly to take the lead ahead of Ogura. Bagnaia went on to win the Sprint for Ducati, with Ogura and Marquez also getting a place on the podium.
Francesco Bagnaia wins the Brno Sprint 🏆 But who was your rider of the race, and why?
Michael Laverty praises Marco Bezzecchi’s ability to bounce back after Czech GP Sprint crash
Further down the grid, Bezzecchi failed to overtake Ogura and ended up going backwards as Marquez and Moreira got ahead of the Italian.
Eventually, while running in fifth place, Bezzecchi crashed out in the closing stages, throwing away vital points in the race to become MotoGP champion.
Speaking about the incident after the Sprint race, TNT Sports pundits Laverty and Sylvain Guintoli discussed Bezzecchi’s Saturday performances.
The 27-year-old has now failed to finish four out of nine Sprint races in 2026, something Guintoli described as a ‘weakness’ in the Aprilia rider’s arsenal.
In response, Laverty was quick to point out that Bezzecchi has often managed to bounce back after a disappointing Sprint race.
The 45-year-old, who represented PBM, ART and Aprilia during his own MotoGP career, praised Bezzecchi for showing ‘steely reserve’ on a Sunday and urged him to do so again after his latest crash in Brno.
Laverty said: “But he does show steely reserve when he bounces back on a Sunday; he has to do that again on a weekend when it’s not quite working for him. The Aprilia boys will improve the package for him; that’s what they do so well.”
What does Marco Bezzecchi have to change after crashing out of the Czech Grand Prix Sprint?
The Aprilia rider's incident at Brno was his fourth crash from nine Sprints in 2026
READ MORE: Francesco Bagnaia wins the Czech Grand Prix Sprint ahead of Ai Ogura
Guintoli had said earlier: “We know he can deliver on Sundays, but in that championship, 22 rounds, you can’t keep giving points away in those Sprints.
“Yes, it’s half points, but when you add it all at the end of the year, that will not work; he needs to be at least consistent in those races. He can’t just keep on throwing it down the road like that; that shows weakness as well.”
Following Bezzecchi’s crash in the Sprint, the gap between him and teammate Jorge Martin has been reduced to just 15 points.
Meanwhile, seven-time premier class world champion Marquez is now just 65 points behind Bezzecchi, pushing him closer and closer to being right in the title fight.
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