Who slept the worst last night: Marco Bezzecchi

Dear MotoGP fans,

Before the weekend in Misano, I had the feeling that it could be decisive for the World Championship. Because after Marc Marquez’s double victory in Aragon, Marco Bezzecchi had to strike back at his home race.

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And I also had the feeling that Misano could be the start of this world championship duel that will then shape the overseas races in autumn. Marquez and Bezzecchi are the fastest riders this season in terms of pure speed.

Sure, Martin has led the championship for a long time now, but not because he was the fastest rider. Most of the time his speed was only good enough for third, fourth, fifth places, but not for the very front.

Bezzecchi was also the fastest man in Misano. The new lap record in qualifying was impressive! Not even Marquez could keep up. The speed of the Aprilia through the Curvone towards turn 13 was gigantic.

But Marquez is a fox! In the sprint, he outsmarted Bezzecchi in turn 1. For the third race in a row, he tricked Bezzecchi in turn 1 and thus secured the decision in his favor. That’s how you make “big points”.

In the Grand Prix, Bezzecchi managed to assert himself at the start and take the lead. That almost decided the race for him, as his pace in the practice sessions was the crucial tenth better than Marquez’s.

We have often seen this season that Bezzecchi is a force in the long race with the medium rear tire. Whether Marquez could really have countered that – I have my doubts.

But Marquez didn’t even have to try hard, because with the crash in lap 1 at turn 13, Bezzecchi cleared the way for him. This crash at the home race was not only extremely bitter but also a turning point in the World Championship.

Let’s first listen to what he himself said about this crash: “In turn 13 I made a mistake and the front wheel slipped away. The tire was at operating temperature.”

“With a full tank, you have to time the braking point a little better. I had some instability in the bike in the fast section. When I braked, I couldn’t quite hit the line cleanly and the front wheel folded.”

Bezzecchi has made far too many mistakes this season. With his speed, he should be leading the World Championship standings comfortably by now and could be racing tactically against Marquez.

Bezzecchi’s list of mistakes

– Crash in the sprint in Thailand
– Crash in the sprint in Austin
– Innocently caused to crash in the start crash at Balaton Park by Martin
– Crash in the sprint in Brno, slapped a race official, race ban
– Crash in the GP in Assen
– Crash in qualifying at Sachsenring, no race starts
– Crash in the GP in Misano

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In a long season with 44 races, it is impossible not to make mistakes. One or two crashes can happen. You can be innocently involved in an unfortunate situation or there can be a problem with the bike once.

All that is part of a long season, but Bezzecchi has left so many World Championship points on the table himself. That’s not how you become world champion, especially not against an exceptional talent like Marquez.

After Bezzecchi celebrated a big home victory in Mugello, he led the World Championship. Marquez was 102 points behind. Since Mugello, Marquez has collected 203 World Championship points, while Bezzecchi only 68!

After Misano, Marquez leads the World Championship tied on points with Martin. Bezzecchi is 33 points behind. Marquez would have to make a mistake and fail to finish a race for Bezzecchi to catch up again.

Martin has not had the necessary speed in recent weeks, except for Silverstone. Now there is also the question mark with arm pump. I do not see him as a World Championship rival on equal footing with Marquez.

Misano was a turning point in the World Championship, but it is not the start of the Marquez vs. Bezzecchi duel for the World Championship title. Marquez is now the favorite, and as we know him, he will not let this chance slip away.

If Marquez becomes world champion, then he has won this World Championship title as a rider. Conversely, Aprilia would have lost the World Championship title because they do not have the right rider for it.

Bezzecchi is a great rider, one of the best of his generation. With his speed and talent, he can win many races. But can he also remain consistent over an entire World Championship season, or is that a bit too much for him?

In Misano, he made a big mistake. Was the pressure from Marquez too great after three lost races in turn 1? Was the pressure at the home race too much? He says no, but the tears in his eyes when Marquez crossed the finish line as the winner said it all.

Yours

Who do you think was the loser of the MotoGP weekend? Share your opinion with me on Facebook or on Bluesky. There you will find my texts, insider information, opinions, and assessments on current topics. And of course the opportunity to discuss this column!

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