F1 star Kimi Antonelli “a great motivation” for Marco Bezzecchi in MotoGP
Marco Bezzecchi talks his relationship with F1 star Kimi Antonelli
Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi says Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s success in Formula 1 this season is providing “a great motivation for me” in the 2026 MotoGP title battle.
Fellow Italians Marco Bezzecchi and Kimi Antonelli have become good friends, with the latter occasionally training with Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Academy.
Bezzecchi was a guest of Mercedes at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where he witnessed Antonelli come from 19th on the grid after an engine penalty to win his home race.
In just his second season in F1, 20-year-old Antonelli has won seven times this year and holds a commanding 66-point lead in the standings.
Asked about how influential Antonelli’s success has been on his own MotoGP campaign, Bezzecchi said on Thursday at the San Marino Grand Prix: “Well, at the end we are just friends.
“But, obviously, to see the success that Kimi is having is a great motivation for me.
“I hope also that I am a little bit of an inspiration for him.
“But seeing what he did in Monza, for sure, was a big boost of adrenaline and a big emotion.”
Bezzecchi comes to his home event at Misano third in the standings, 24 points from championship leader and Aprilia team-mate Jorge Martin, after a brace of podiums at Aragon.
The Italian won the sprint at Misano last year.
With Aprilia expected to be stronger than Ducati at Misano, expectations are on Bezzecchi’s shoulders to deliver a victory.
While acknowledging that it is an important weekend for him, he says “it’s only a race”, while warning that he is still below full physical fitness following his crash in Germany in July.
“It’s obvious that it’s a special race for me, but, in the end, it’s only a race,” he said.
“So, I’ll try my best as I always do. I would lie to you if I said I would not like to win.
“But, in the end, at the moment, I know I’m still recovering a bit from the injuries, especially my knee.
“Unfortunately, it’s still making my life a little bit tough.
“The shoulder, finally, is good. But at the moment, my main target is trying to be back at my beginning of the season shape.”
