“We have to understand”: Marco Bezzecchi baffled by ongoing MotoGP Sprint struggles

A fourth place in the Assen MotoGP Sprint is far from Marco Bezzecchi’s worst result on a Saturday in 2026, but the shorter races remain a weak point for the Italian.

Bezzecchi was fastest in all three practice sessions across Friday, and Saturday morning at Assen, but was beaten to pole by Jorge Martin. 

He still qualified on the front row in third place, but from there he dropped to fifth early in the Sprint as he was weak on the brakes at turn one and then ran wide at turn nine. 

Bezzecchi eventually recovered to fourth, and beat both his primary title rivals, Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez, but after being so strong all weekend the two-second margin to the victory was uncharacteristic of his weekend, but it fits perfectly with the pattern of his 2026 MotoGP season.

“Well, I struggled a bit more in the first couple of laps, it's true,” said Marco Bezzecchi after the Sprint at Assen.

“I've been struggling a bit after the start and I got overtaken by all the riders that were in front of me. 

“I was overtaken by Raul [Fernandez] that was actually starting behind me and also from Diggia [Fabio Di Giannantonio] that was actually starting behind me so I lost a couple of positions and I couldn't feel super good in the first three laps.

“In the Sprint, these first three laps are mandatory, you know.

“After, I started to feel better and better and my pace was slightly better but it was a little bit too late and I was able only to finish in fourth place. 

“It's true, I felt very well in the practice sessions with the medium [compound rear tyre] and also with the soft, but in the sprint, in the first couple of laps, I felt a little bit worse. So we have to understand.”

Bezzecchi suggested that he was missing stability in the first laps.

“A bit of feeling especially, a bit more movement compared normally and overall these two main problems,” he said.

While Bezzecchi could only manage fourth and his Aprilia Racing team-mate, the aforementioned Martin, was one place worse, the Trackhouse Aprilias went 1-2, led by Raul Fernandez.

Bezzecchi suggested that his race was similar to Ogura’s, the Japanese getting stronger in the second half of the race, but that he was slower to pick up his pace after dropping back at the start.

“It's true that Raul [Fernandez], especially at the beginning, he was the one that used the tyre in the best way possible,” Bezzecchi said.

“He calmed down the first lap but then immediately passed Jorge [Martin] and the rhythm that he had at the beginning was very good. 

“Then for Ai [Ogura], he started a bit slower compared to Raul, but anyway faster than me.

“But then after he was, as always, very quick. I made similar to Ai but a little bit too late, so maybe one or two laps too late.”