Marco Bezzecchi struggles with Aprilia time attack pace in MotoGP

Marco Bezzecchi admits he is paying the price for a lack of time attack runs in MotoGP testing as he adapts to Aprilia’s riding demands.

Marco Bezzecchi of Italy and Aprilia Racing competes during the MotoGP Thailand Grand Prix at Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, on March 2, 2025. Photo by Kaikungwon Duanjumroon/Nur

By Randy Ahmad and Adila Ghina

Marco Bezzecchi has acknowledged that his struggles with time attack pace on the Aprilia are hampering his performance in MotoGP, admitting that the RS-GP “doesn’t accept how I ride” when he relies on instinct. The Italian rider, who joined Aprilia for the 2025 season, believes a lack of focused time attack runs during pre-season testing has put him at a disadvantage in qualifying.

The three-time grand prix winner played a key role in Aprilia’s pre-season preparations, stepping up in the absence of reigning world champion Jorge Martin. Bezzecchi qualified eighth at the Thailand Grand Prix and secured a sixth-place finish in Sunday’s race, which he believes was an expected result for his first competitive outing on the Aprilia.

“At the end, it’s not better, not worse,” Bezzecchi said after the race. “It’s almost how I expected to begin the season. To be honest, I wanted to do better in qualifying. Still, in time attack, I’m not the best.

“I didn’t try many time attacks in testing because of the items to try, so we didn’t concentrate on that, and I think I’m paying a bit for this lack of time attacks in testing. It’s the point where I have to improve the most.

“I think when I have to ride even more by instinct like I’m used to doing in the past years, the bike doesn’t always accept how I ride in time attack. So, this is why I make some small mistakes.”

Bezzecchi hampered by sprint setback and tyre issues

Bezzecchi’s weekend was further complicated by a disappointing sprint race in Thailand. Wheelspin off the line dropped him to the back of the field, leaving him unable to finish higher than 12th.

His grand prix race was also affected by front tyre overheating, which prevented him from making rapid progress through the field.

“The start was okay, fortunately, and from that point, it was completely another story,” he explained.

“It was tough anyway because being behind some bikes puts everything really hot, especially the front tyre that from the beginning was over temp. I had the alarms on the dash through all the race.

“Also, when I passed Jack [Miller], I had free space in front, and I spent four laps trying to remove the alarms from the dash. But anyway, some positive points. I wanted to get in front of Jack and Raul [Fernandez] earlier, but I wasn’t fast enough to immediately overtake.”

Heat management on Aprilia better than expected

A persistent issue for Aprilia riders in recent years has been the excessive heat generated by the bike, especially in extreme ambient conditions. However, Bezzecchi said his experience in Thailand was not as bad as he had anticipated based on comments from previous Aprilia riders like Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales.

“Really, really good, to be honest,” he said when asked about the bike’s heat levels.

“It was hot, of course. It’s bullshit if I say not. But it was nothing crazy compared to the other bikes.

“I expected—hearing the comments from Aleix and Maverick in the last years—much, much worse.

“Or I’m very fit, or the bike is very fresh. One of the two. I think the second!”

Despite the challenges, Bezzecchi remains optimistic about his progress with Aprilia. With more time to refine his approach to time attacks and adapt his riding style, he hopes to unlock greater potential in upcoming rounds.

More from MotoGP coverage

• Joan Mir crashes out of the Thai Grand Prix, citing severe bike overheating issues.
• Pedro Acosta questions KTM’s tyre unloading issues after Buriram setback.
• Francesco Bagnaia believes Marc Marquez had pace in reserve and could have won comfortably.