Marco Bezzecchi shines in front of his home fans in Misano, battles Marc Marquez to the limit and beams despite finishing second – now third place in the World Championship is within reach
Marco Bezzecchi had an almost perfect home weekend at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on the Italian Adriatic coast. On Saturday, the Aprilia rider took victory in the sprint race from pole position. In the Grand Prix, he put Marc Marquez under pressure right to the end and finished second.
“Yes, it was really tough,” he says, taking a deep breath. “It was a difficult race, but also very nice because I could see that I was at the limit—and at the same time, I could see that Marc was pushing extremely hard. Still, I was able to stay with him, which was fantastic.”
“Of course, I thought I could bring home the victory. That was my goal, obviously. But Marc was super fast, and I think they still have a little more, especially from the middle of the race to the end when the tires degrade.“
”Still, I’m very happy because my performance was incredible,“ Bezzecchi beams. ”I really gave it my all—for the fans, for Aprilia, for my team, for the VR46 Academy, and everyone involved. So yes, I’m very happy.”
The key moment of the race was turn 8 on lap 12. Bezzecchi led from the start, but then he made the decisive mistake and Marquez slipped through on the inside. The Italian also has an explanation for this small mistake.
“For me, from the start of the weekend, the biggest difference between the two rear tire compounds was braking. With the soft tire, I was able to slow down better, but with the medium tire, I had more problems.”
BEZ MADE A MISTAKE @marcmarquez93 breezes past him to take the lead SanMarinoGP pic.twitter.com/leWUh2mnbS
— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) September 14, 2025
“From lap eight or nine, I started to have more problems with braking. Marc was right behind me, we were both at the limit. Marc was putting a lot of pressure on me and I knew he was strong in that section of the track.”
“From turn 4 to turn 9, 10, he was super fast. So I knew I had to defend there. But because of these braking problems, I made a small mistake. The bike moved strangely.“
”I didn’t want to lock up the front wheel, so I had to release the front brake slightly and went a little wide,“ Bezzecchi describes the decisive moment of the race. ”That allowed Marc to overtake me.”
“I knew Marc wouldn’t give me a chance, so I had to create that chance myself. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, but I’m happy because we were both really at the limit. I gave it my all and I’m sure he gave it his all too.”
“I saw that he made a few small mistakes, just like me. To be honest, we had more problems with our bike than he did from the middle of the race to the end.” Nevertheless, Bezzecchi was able to stay close to the red Ducati until the end.
Bagnaia within reach of third place in the World Championship
It was Bezzecchi’s sixth podium finish in a Grand Prix this year. He won at Silverstone. He finished second at Assen and Brno. He also took third place at Spielberg and Balaton Park. His form is consistently improving. This is also having an impact on the World Championship standings, as he is now just eight points behind Francesco Bagnaia in third place. “To be honest, I haven’t thought about it – not even now, although I have of course seen the standings,” he waves off.
Isn’t third place in the World Championship his goal? “Basically, I’m not that interested in that at the moment, because with six weekends remaining, i.e. twelve races, anything can happen. In that time, you could just as easily slip down to eighth or ninth place.”
“In the end, it’s pointless to fixate on it,” says Bezzecchi. “We have to focus on ourselves and keep believing. We’re having a great moment right now, that’s undeniable. But that can change very quickly.”
“Just look at me in Barcelona: I came from three podiums in a row, then I crashed in all the races and scored zero points. That’s why you shouldn’t get too hung up on it, but keep working.”
The mood in the Aprilia pit was magnificent during this successful weekend. Bezzecchi also spoke of one of his best weekends ever: “I can’t say it was the best because a win is always better. But it was definitely one of the best.”
Bezzecchi is within reach of third place in the World Championship, and Aprilia is in second place in the manufacturers’ standings. In Misano, they pulled 23 points clear of KTM. After such a difficult start to the year with Jorge Martin’s injuries, they are now on the road to success.
“Yes, of course, it was all unexpected,” beams Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola. “From Jorge’s injury to Marco’s outstanding performance. We signed Marco without planning to make him our number two rider. To be honest, he has achieved more than we expected.”
“But with the attitude he has, with the team, with his approach and all the work he takes on and drives forward, I think there is still room for improvement—for him and for us. I’m looking forward to beating Marc in one of the next races.”