Marc Marquez warned Bezzecchi has Valentino Rossi in his corner for MotoGP title race
· Yahoo Sports
Marco Bezzecchi, now an established contender in MotoGP, has Valentino Rossi’s support as he gears up for a title battle with Marc Marquez.
The 2025 season saw Marco Bezzecchi win three races and finish third in the championship standings, showing real progress in his first year with Aprilia.
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As the 2026 campaign got underway, there was growing anticipation that Bezzecchi would become a regular challenger to defending champion Marc Marquez.
The season opener in Thailand got off to a mixed start. After crashing out of the Sprint Race while leading, Bezzecchi bounced back to take victory in the main Grand Prix on Sunday.
Heading into Brazil, Bezzecchi sits second overall and has a real opportunity to move ahead in the standings as early-season momentum continues to build.
Alex Barros backs Marco Bezzecchi in his fight for the 2026 title
Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty ImagesMarco Bezzecchi’s start to the 2026 MotoGP season has already been impressive, but he faces a tough opponent in Marc Marquez. There is growing belief that he’s ready to make a real run at the championship.
Bezzecchi had a strong finish to last year, winning three of the final seven races. He carried that momentum into this season, picking up two wins and two second-place finishes from the opening four rounds.
In an interview with Mundo Deportivo ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, former MotoGP rider Alex Barros was asked if he believes Bezzecchi is prepared to take on Marquez for the title.
The Brazilian rider stated that he believes Valentino Rossi’s influence will have helped prepare Bezzecchi for his battle with Marquez this season.
“I think Bezzecchi is a strong contender for the title; I knew this was going to happen even before the World Championship began. I thought Bezzecchi would start the season at least as strongly as he finished last year, and Aprilia, of course, has given him a bike; that slight difference he had (compared to Ducati) has been eliminated,” said Barros.
“So, with similar equipment and very evenly matched bikes, he has a chance. And another thing: Bezzecchi has Valentino behind him; we mustn’t forget that either – he’s one of Valentino’s riders.
“And then there’s the whole story of Valentino and Marc; we all know about that. I think he’ll be up there all year unless something happens like a crash. But on equal terms, I think he’ll be a rider who’s constantly fighting for wins throughout the championship.”
Valentino Rossi doubts Bezzecchi can topple Marquez in 2026 title race
Speaking at the MotoGP Hall of Fame Dinner, which was filmed after the 2025 season, Valentino Rossi shared his thoughts on Bezzecchi’s chances against Marquez in the upcoming year.
Rossi noted that Bezzecchi may have a tough time closing the gap on Marquez, pointing out that Aprilia’s bike still lags behind Ducati’s 2025 version.
The Italian said: “The Aprilia is a bit worse than the Ducati. So beating Marquez with a worse bike? Impossible.”
That view was echoed by 2003 World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson. Speaking on the Gas It Out podcast, Hodgson said he thought Bezzecchi had a rough start to the season with his performance in Thailand.
Hodgson added that Bezzecchi’s Sprint Race crash might be an early sign that he’ll find it tough to keep pace with Marquez over the course of the season.
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