Marco Bezzecchi: Tyre choice not the reason for Aragon MotoGP Sprint defeat

For the second MotoGP weekend in a row, tyre choice proved divisive in the Sprint at Aragon, but Marco Bezzecchi is sure that his decision was not the reason he was beaten to victory in the 11-lapper.

Bezzecchi opted for the soft-compound rear tyre, the same choice made by his team-mate, Jorge Martin. On the other hand, the Ducatis of Alex Marquez and Marc Marquez – who started alongside polesitter Bezzecchi on the front row – chose the medium rear tyre, as did the vast majority of the front three rows of the grid.

The end result was a Marquez 1-2, with Bezzecchi in third. Martin was never a factor in the podium battle, and finished fifth behind Pedro Acosta, who was within half-a-second of Bezzecchi at the end after he, too, chose the medium rear.

But the tyre choice, in Bezzecchi’s opinion, was not a mistake by Aprilia.

“Well, now it's easy to say the medium [rear tyre] was better,” Marco Bezzecchi said after the Aragon Sprint.

“But honestly this idea never really came in my mind because I felt in a decent way with the soft, I worked well all the day with the soft, so I was quite convinced. 

“I'm not sure that with the medium I could do much better. Honestly, I'm more convinced that I could do maybe worse. 

“So for me, for myself, it was good.”

The first turn also provided a key point in the race, as Bezzecchi braked too early and allowed Marc Marquez to pass on the inside. Marquez’s pass was clean, but late enough that Bezzecchi was forced to stay on the outside, which allowed Alex Marquez into second.

Bezzecchi felt that, while leading the first lap would have been beneficial, it might not have changed the result, either.

“Well, the lead for sure could help,” the Aprilia Racing rider said. 

“I don't know if it's the only reason, because I finished third. 

“What I know is that my pace was like this today. So maybe if I was leading [the result could’ve been better], but my pace anyway was like this – I think the others were a little bit faster. 

“So, for sure the first corner I should make a little bit better. But anyway I'm happy for the result, because for me it's important. A day like this was good.”

Bezzecchi added that he enjoyed the race, and that finishing first behind the Marquez brothers at Aragon is not necessarily a terrible result.

“It was tricky, but I enjoyed it,” he said. “This morning, this afternoon, I have to say that the balance of the day, for me, was very good; to stay close to the Marquez brothers in Aragon, for me it's good.”

Finishing third with Martin in fifth means Bezzecchi goes into Sunday with a 29-point deficit in the MotoGP riders' standings.