Marco Bezzecchi: Being MotoGP team-mate to Pecco Bagnaia “will be strange”
Marco Bezzecchi has given his thoughts on his new team-mate for the 2027 MotoGP season
Marco Bezzecchi believes “it will be strange” being team-mate to Pecco Bagnaia at the factory Aprilia squad during the 2027 MotoGP season.
Ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix last month, Aprilia announced that it had signed Pecco Bagnaia for next season, bringing to an end months of speculation.
Aprilia also confirmed that double world champion Bagnaia had penned a whopping four-year deal with the Noale-based manufacturer.
Up to now, Bagnaia has only ever raced Ducati machinery in MotoGP, having made his debut with Pramac in 2019 as reigning Moto2 champion.
“We’ve never been so close…”
Bezzecchi and Bagnaia are long-time friends, having come up together through the VR46 Riders Academy.
Being partnered with Bagnaia next year is an experience, he admits, will be “strange”.
“I'm happy, obviously, for him, for the team, for the factory,” Bezzecchi said at Assen in the wake of the Bagnaia announcement.
“He's, I think, very cool, but also, honestly, it will be strange to share the box because at the end we've been rivals every time and we'll be the same, but we've never been so close during all the weekend.
“But anyway, I'm very, very happy.
“So, I'm happy also about the current situation that is in Aprilia right now because the mood inside the box is very good.
“The relationship that I have with Jorge [Martin] is also very good, and we built a very good mood inside the box.
“So, of course, I'm happy for next year, but I also want to concentrate on this season and try to take out the maximum from it.”
Bagnaia will take Martin’s place at the factory Aprilia squad next season, with the 2024 world champion moving to Yamaha alongside Ai Ogura.
Bezzecchi’s new Aprilia deal was announced pre-season.
At Ducati, Bagnaia’s place will be taken by Pedro Acosta, who will partner Marc Marquez at the Italian brand’s factory team.
Bezzecchi suffered a collarbone fracture during the German Grand Prix weekend, but is aiming to return to action at the British Grand Prix next month following surgery last Sunday.
He has faded to fourth in the standings, 22 points behind his team-mate and current championship leader Martin.
