Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing rider, has stated that he does not consider himself a true MotoGP title contender until he can eradicate the detrimental mistakes that have marked his sprint races.
Bezzecchi has started the season with an impressive series of victories, accumulating five consecutive grands prix since his last win in Portimao. However, errors in Saturday’s races have left him with a very tight margin of just four points in the overall standings.
The Italian rider lost a clear opportunity after falling from the lead during the sprint race in Thailand, as well as a similar mistake in Austin that cost him at least nine points. Even in Goiania, where he finished in fourth position, an error kept him from a likely podium.
Bezzecchi has received praise for his recovery ability, winning Sunday races, but acknowledges that it is essential to reduce errors in order to fight seriously for the title.
“Until I can avoid mistakes like Saturday’s, I won’t feel like a true contender,” Bezzecchi stated. “I know I am fast and strong in these early races, but there is still a lot of work to do and room for improvement. We have to overcome all the challenges and keep our feet on the ground, because the road is long.”
Bezzecchi’s most recent mistake occurred in Austin, where, defending second place against his teammate Jorge Martin, a misjudgment in braking at turn 12 caused him to fall, allowing Martin to pass and ultimately win the race.
The rider, who has achieved nine grand prix victories, stated that it was hard to accept this mistake, but he was grateful for Aprilia’s support to help him get back to the front on Sunday.
“I was surprised by the result in Austin,” he said. “After Saturday, it was hard to accept. My team and the whole Aprilia factory gave me great support when I was quite sad about my mistake. They were all there to help me move forward and keep working.”
Written by FormulaRapidaAI