Marco Bezzecchi
Marco Bezzecchi is up against it in the 2026 championship fight after a rotten run of form. His crash at the Dutch Grand Prix cost him the lead in the standings.
Aprilia had the clear advantage at Assen, locking out the top four grid slots. But Bezzecchi did not extract the maximum from the RS-GP, with Trackhouse claiming two 1-2 finishes.
The Italian was expected to control the Dutch Grand Prix, but he came away with only six points, finishing P4 in the Sprint. Bezzecchi suffered a violent crash in Sunday’s race, handing the championship lead to Aprilia teammate Jorge Martin.
Marco Bezzecchi escaped significant injury after this HEAVY crash at Assen. What do you think about his title chances now?
Marco Bezzecchi not getting hurt in Assen crash is a sign his championship is going well, says Andrea Dovizioso
Bezzecchi succumbed to Marc Marquez’s mind games, who believed that he would claim 37 points at Assen. It may suggest that he is struggling to handle the pressure of fighting for the title, but Andrea Dovizioso thinks his crash could actually help him.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he believes that Bezzecchi not getting hurt is a sign that his title fight is going well. Dovizioso is ‘curious’ to see what the Aprilia rider’s reaction to the crash will be, stressing that it could damage his confidence.
“I’m really struggling to wait because I’m so curious to see Bezzecchi’s reaction after this weekend,” he said. “I saw him on the fast section again this weekend, absolutely convinced he’d take the win, but he managed to score very few points, and then there was the crash.
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“I’m curious to see the impact of the crash because, apart from the risk of getting hurt – and when you don’t get hurt in a crash like that, it’s usually a sign that the championship is going well.
“But his reaction to this crash will make all the difference because, as a rider, it’s the sort of crash that could shake his confidence in the bike.
“He lost the front end when he opened the throttle again in a very fast corner where he’s usually very competitive, and I don’t know if he was expecting it in the long race – where he’s normally strong – so this sort of thing shouldn’t have happened, in my view.
The top five are now separated by just 40 points! Who is your pick for the 2026 title?
“Then perhaps from the next race onwards he’ll be confident and determined, it won’t affect him at all, so this issue will disappear – and I hope that’s the case for him. But it could happen; this crash could have an impact.”
Discussing the title picture, he added: “So, if I had to pick one of the three above the others – well, I don’t see Martin as being quite there yet, but ultimately he’s racking up points in the championship.
“But blimey, Ogura – I mean, I don’t know, I don’t know him well – you have to consider his mentality: he’s already won a championship.”
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