Marco Bezzecchi
Marco Bezzecchi’s MotoGP season is threatening to unravel after a crash in German Grand Prix qualifying ended his weekend.
Bezzecchi fractured his collarbone in the highside accident and has returned to Italy to undergo surgery. This comes only a fortnight after he crashed out of the Dutch GP at Assen.
After winning his home race at the end of May, Bezzecchi was 17 points clear of Martin at the top of the standings. But a disastrous run has followed, including a pile-up at the Hungarian GP and a race ban at Brno for striking a marshal.
Jorge Martin tells Marco Bezzecchi he’s a ‘gladiator’
After his absence from Saturday’s Sprint race, Bezzecchi is 11 points behind his teammate ahead of the Grand Prix. Fabio Di Giannantonio, Ai Ogura and Marc Marquez are all within striking distance.
“It’s a tough time, but we’re tougher,” Bezzecchi wrote on Instagram. “Now I’m going to get patched up and get back to work. Nothing is going to make me give up! See you soon.”
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“You are a gladiator,” Martin wrote in response, while VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio added: “Forza brother.”
Martin is leaving Aprilia at the end of the season to join Yamaha but he may now be their best hope of winning the championship.
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Last season, the Spaniard missed 29 out of 44 races due to three separate injuries, so his sympathetic message to Bezzecchi is no surprise.
Bezzecchi was already struggling physically before the crash, reporting that he felt pain all over his body after a high-speed tumble through the Assen gravel.
Despite that, Bezzecchi outpaced Martin in qualifying by a tenth of a second, though eighth and ninth was a disappointing showing from the factory Aprilia riders.
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