Bezzecchi disqualified at Brno: reactions from Marquez, Bagnaia and Rossi

The Aprilia rider was at the center of a highly debated case during the MotoGP weekend in the Czech Republic; his behavior was heavily punished: here’s what some key MotoGP figures think.

It’s not an easy moment for Marco Bezzecchi. After being taken out by Jorge Martin in the race at Balaton Park, things went even worse in Brno. In the sprint race he crashed on the penultimate lap while running fifth, and then pushed and struck in the face one of the marshals who were trying to lift his Aprilia. The video of the incident quickly circulated online and was also seen by the FIM MotoGP Stewards Panel, which took a tough measure: suspension from the Czech Republic Grand Prix.

The Aprilia Racing team appealed, but it was unsuccessful and thus the rider could not start today’s race. This meant collecting another costly zero in his standings; now the rivals are closer and more threatening in the chase for the 2026 world title. Apologies from the Rimini native were not lacking: he wrote a message on social media and also went to the marshal to ask forgiveness for his act. He hugged him and even gave him his gloves, showing sincere remorse for what happened on Saturday.

Unsurprisingly, the Bezzecchi case has been talked about extensively over these two days. And other riders were asked to share their thoughts. Marc Marquez, today’s race winner, chose not to be harsh toward his colleague: "I won’t make further comments - reports Crash.net - because there’s already a lot of noise on social media. It can happen. We are young. We are learning things in front of millions of people. So there, with all the adrenaline pumping, and perhaps also the frustration from the crash... I think he learned his lesson, but that’s all."

Pecco Bagnaia, who took third place on the podium after winning the Sprint, acknowledges the mistake made by his compatriot but said he was surprised by the type of sanction: "I don’t want to dwell too much on the matter - he told DAZN España - I know Bezzecchi very well. I know perfectly what a rider feels when he crashes and, in a situation like yesterday’s, it’s normal to be nervous. I don’t justify his behavior, but not allowing him to race is a bit excessive."

Valentino Rossi also didn’t imagine that his VR46 Riders Academy protégé would be suspended from the Czech Republic Grand Prix: "I think Marco made a mistake - he told MotoGP’s official channels - but, honestly, I didn’t expect that he wouldn’t be able to race."

In general, there is broad unanimity in the paddock in condemning Bezzecchi’s bad gesture; then there are those who consider it correct to have disqualified him from the rest of the GP at Brno and those who think the sanction could have been less severe, albeit exemplary. In any case, what’s done is done; the Aprilia rider apologized with absolute sincerity and has certainly learned an important lesson. On Monday he will be one of the protagonists of the test with the 850cc prototypes to work with a view to 2027. Next weekend there’s the Grand Prix at Assen, an opportunity to bounce back.