Marco Bezzecchi “gave my all to fight with Marc Marquez” before P2 finish at Dutch MotoGP

Victory for Marc Marquez in the Dutch MotoGP was taken ahead of Marco Bezzecchi, who was back on the podium in a grand prix for the first time since his win at Silverstone in May.

Bezzecchi’s Sprint podium on Saturday had been his first in a Saturday race since he was third in the Indonesian Sprint in 2023.

Backing it up with second on Sunday made this weekend the first round that Bezzecchi has doubled up on podiums since the 2023 San Marino Grand Prix when he went 2-2, beaten by Jorge Martin on both occasions.

“It was a very good weekend,” Marco Bezzecchi said on MotoGP.com’s post-race After the Flag show.

“I don’t know how much time [it’s been] since I got a double podium on a weekend, so can’t be more happy than this.

“Finally, podium in a Sprint, good qualifying, and today the race was fantastic.”

Marco Bezzecchi shone at Dutch MotoGP

Bezzecchi said he was unable to mount a real challenge for the lead because his pace in the second half of the race was not strong enough compared to Marquez’s.

“I really gave my all to try to fight with Marc [Marquez],” the Aprilia Racing rider said.

“But, if in the first part of the race I was close, then in the second part of the race I was struggling because he made a step on the pace and it was tough for me to stay close to him.

“But I fought like ‘a desperate’ to stay close to him and I really gave my all and the bike was competitive; I really squeezed everything out from the bike.”

All of Bezzecchi’s overtakes in the race were made at the final chicane. He explained that he felt strong on the brakes there, but that Marquez was too strong in turn 15 for him to be close enough to attack once he got into second place.

“To be honest, the only place where I was strong to attack some riders was the braking to the last chicane,” the Aprilia Racing rider told the post-race press conference.

“I passed Alex [Marquez], I passed Pecco [Francesco Bagnaia] there, but Marc was a bit stronger in turn 15.

“I always caught him in the wrong place, because I was faster in sector three, but then I was too close in the slipstream with the change of direction before turn 15, and in that area of the track it’s really difficult to stay close with the slipstream so I always had to step back a bit.

“Then I wasn’t close enough for the braking of the last chicane.

“Of course, he was a bit stronger than me, so I was a bit on the limit for all the race, so this is why I never had the chance to try. Happy anyway because I did my best through all the laps.”

Silverstone win “better”

Although Bezzecchi was pleased with his second place he was, perhaps unsurprisingly, of the opinion that his Silverstone win was a “better” race.

“Silverstone for sure was better,” he said. “It’s always better when you win!

“But I have to say that this race was fantastic because I think it was the first time for me that I was so competitive through all the race and I was fighting and I was really on the limit through all the race – I never managed the tyre, I never managed myself; I was risking all the corners like a b*stard.

“I had fun, but it was better, Silverstone.”