Bezzecchi on the charge: the recipe for beating Marc Marquez

Marco Bezzecchi started the 2026 MotoGP season with a commanding victory at the Thai GP, allowing him to make amends for the mistake made in the Sprint. After the brilliant end to the 2025 championship, which he finished in third place overall, the Aprilia rider keeps racking up results and can dream big.

Much of the credit certainly goes to the engineers in Noale who, during the winter break, did an excellent job on the RS-GP. At Aprilia they prefer to keep a low profile. The goal is to fight for the podium every weekend; on paper Ducati remains the favorite, with Marc Marquez in pole position. "He, and no one else, is the favorite. They are the defending champions," Marco Bezzecchi told Corriere della Sera. "We’ll have to fight for it. The pressure is on Ducati, the team that won last year."

The Rimini-born rider arrived at the start of this MotoGP World Championship with more experience and psychological solidity, aware that he has a great opportunity to achieve his big dream. The recipe to beat Marc? "If you go out there afraid, you’re already defeated. And I wasn’t even last year."

For several weeks now, it’s been taken for granted that Pecco Bagnaia is coming to Aprilia next season. So far there have been no official announcements, so lips are sealed with the media. But an all-Italian line-up on an Italian bike is mouthwatering for all true fans of the Bel Paese. Moreover, Marco and Pecco have known each other for many years, train together, and share free time thanks to their involvement with Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Academy. In any case, it will be a real showdown: "We’re very good friends, but on track we’re rivals."

Speaking of the rider market and contracts in the MotoGP class, Bezzecchi and Aprilia were the first to make their renewal for the next two years official. It’s a vote of confidence from the Veneto manufacturer, which has finally found a new crown jewel (Jorge Martin is said to have already signed with Yamaha). "I had other offers, but I decided to continue because I was looking for a solid partnership," emphasized the rider from Romagna. "The future is unpredictable, but I feel really good here."