Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez is renowned for his mind games during title fights in MotoGP. He has been deploying that tactic with Marco Bezzecchi in 2026, and it paid off again at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Bezzecchi looked a shoo-in for the championship in 2026 after he led every lap and won the first three races. Meanwhile, Marquez was struggling with the aftermath of their crash in Indonesia in 2025, with nerve damage plaguing the Ducati rider’s right arm.
Marquez’s highside at Le Mans took him out for two races, while Bezzecchi had finished in the top two at every race up to the French GP. The Aprilia rider had a commanding lead, and his rival was doing everything to downplay his title chances, whilst also piling the pressure on the Italian.
The top five are now separated by just 40 points! Who is your pick for the 2026 title?
Marc Marquez said Marco Bezzecchi would ‘definitely’ win at Assen – his mind games worked again
The Ant of Cervera’s mind games started early doors. After seeing his start to the season, Marquez said Bezzecchi was ‘unstoppable’ in 2026, with the Ducati rider being without a podium for the first seven races.
Before his crash at Le Mans, Marquez said he could challenge Bezzecchi in Jerez due to his fitness issues and Aprilia’s step forward in development. It put more pressure on Bezzecchi to continue the momentum, and it is starting to make him crumble.
Marquez returned to action at Mugello, where Bezzecchi claimed his fourth win of the season. Since the Italian GP, the Aprilia rider has not scored any points on Sunday.
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He was wiped out of the Hungarian GP by teammate Jorge Martin on the opening lap before he was suspended from the Czech GP after slapping a marshal in the Sprint. Bezzecchi proved the Marquez pressure was getting to him as he lost all composure in the midst of the title fight.
It seemed that Marquez got into his head again at Assen. Aprilia were backed as the clear favourites for the win at the Dutch GP, but it was Jorge Martin who took pole position, and Trackhouse dominated the weekend.
Bezzecchi finished fourth in the Sprint, which came as a surprise to Marquez. He expected him to claim maximum points at Assen, which is enough pressure in itself, but he then piled all the pressure on him for Sunday.
He told GPOne after the Sprint: “I said it yesterday; I thought Bezzecchi would score 37 points on this circuit, and he was lightning-fast again this morning. He’ll definitely win tomorrow because, on paper, he has the best pace. But anything can happen in the race.”
Marco Bezzecchi escaped significant injury after this HEAVY crash at Assen. What do you think about his title chances now?
It is another blatant example of Marquez trying to unnerve his rival, and it worked perfectly. Bezzecchi crashed out on lap three and violently cartwheeled across the gravel.
Marquez only managed P7 at Assen, but he was able to close the gap further to Bezzecchi. He is now 40 points behind him with 12 rounds to go, having been more than 100 points back at one point.
The 33-year-old’s tactics are working handsomely, while Bezzecchi is consistently proving that he cannot handle the pressure to fight for the championship. With no points scored in the past three Grands Prix, he needs to get his head back in the game and take the battle to Marquez.
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