Finger pointed at likeliest MotoGP rider to beat Marc Marquez at Balaton Park

Aprilia maintained its status as Ducati’s biggest threat during the Austrian Grand Prix, with Marco Bezzecchi one again excelling on the RS-GP MotoGP bike.

Since winning the British Grand Prix at the end of May, Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia have been perpetual podium contenders.

The Italian ran Marc Marquez close at the Dutch Grand Prix, was on course for a runner-up spot in Germany before crashing, and led for some of the Czech round on his way to second behind the factory Ducati.

That form continued in Austria, with Bezzecchi snatching pole and then leading for the first 18 laps of 28, before an unspecified issue dropped him to third at the chequered flag.

Putting in this performance at a typically weak venue for Aprilia, the coming nine rounds offer a number of opportunities for the Italian marque to grab more wins.

Next weekend at the Hungarian MotoGP, new circuit Balaton Park is a fresh slate for everyone.

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“Nobody’s been there on MotoGP machinery and I think he can be really, really good around Hungary,” Crash MotoGP Podcast host Jordan Moreland said about Bezzecchi.

“I don’t know why. I think going to a new track, he went to India that time and he was ridiculously good.

“He just cleared up the road. In the form that he’s in, every other weekend he’s pretty much been there around Marc.

“And he he showed that around Sachsenring, Silverstone, Brno as well and this weekend. He was a bit disheartened by his issues in the race but he was still taking positives from it.”

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Crash Senior Journalist Lewis Duncan added: “In theory, Balaton Park is a bit stop-and-go like Austria which shouldn’t suit the Aprilia as much as at other circuits.

“But, as we saw, Austria was a good track for it. India is a good comparison because the carcass of the tyre in Austria and India is the same, so is there an element there that this is something that suits Bez more than other Aprilia riders?

“I think there was genuine pace in the bike. We’ve seen different circuits, different layouts where Bez has been quick.

“We’ve seen different circuits where the Aprilia has gone well at and I think despite what conventional wisdom says about the bike you can at least expect Bez and Aprilia to be up there challenging at the front of the field every week.

“It’s clearly the most consistent of the bikes behind Marc.

“We’re coming to a good part of the season, with Barcelona that has always suited the Aprilia.

“We’ve got Misano, which I think Bez will really fancy as an opportunity, and then the flyaways are always a bit of a reset really.”