Valentino Rossi: “Beating Marc Marquez with a worse bike? Impossible”

Marco Bezzecchi’s brilliant form at Aprilia and Francesco Bagnaia’s Ducati woes were among the topics discussed during a unique get together of former 500cc/MotoGP stars.

Local Italian legends Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini were joined by Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa, Kevin Schwantz and Freddie Spencer for a special Hall of Fame dinner at Misano last September.

Footage of the conversation, released by MotoGP.com, shows Lorenzo asking Rossi which rider from the VR46 Academy currently looks strongest.

“At the moment, the most in-form guy is Bezzecchi,” replied Rossi.

Pedrosa admitted the Italian had surprised him after switching from Ducati machinery to Aprilia.

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“I didn’t think it would be like this,” Pedrosa said. “Moving from Ducati… it’s like making a step backwards.”

“It’s more difficult,” Rossi agreed. “But he is in form.”

Rossi also pointed to Bezzecchi’s dedication during training at The Doctor’s Moto Ranch in nearby Tavullia.

“[Bez] is the one that trains the hardest,” Rossi said. “Also at the ranch, he’s fast.

“He’s very focussed. He wants to win. Now. He’s very hungry. In my opinion, he did a great job.

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“But the Aprilia is a bit worse than the Ducati. So, beating Marquez with a worse bike? Impossible.”

Rossi then highlighted a Bezzecchi trait that Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola has also praised.

“He’s got great feel,” Rossi said. “He is very sensitive giving feedback to the engineers.

“He’s got a very aggressive riding style, but he understands what the bike does. And that’s been important with the Aprilia.”

Bezzecchi raced for Rossi’s VR46 Ducati team before switching to the factory Aprilia team for 2025.

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Later in the Misano weekend, Bezzecchi won the Sprint after Marquez crashed, then challenged the eventual world champion for victory in the Grand Prix.

The Italian went on to lead Aprilia to its best MotoGP season, with six victories across Sprint races and grands prix and third place in the championship.

Francesco Bagnaia, Valentino Rossi, Marco Bezzecchi, 2024 Spanish MotoGP.

Rossi: “Pecco is a bit lost now”

The conversation then turns to another VR46 rider; Ducati’s struggling double MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia.

Bagnaia had suffered a four-round podium drought heading into Misano, where he then failed to score a point in front of his home fans.

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“Pecco is unfortunately a bit lost now,” says Rossi.

Lorenzo asked whether the issue is related to the bike.

“Braking and entering, where he was so strong last [2024] season, now he has some difficulties,” replies Rossi.

“He’s always like this,” Rossi adds, gesturing at Bagnaia lacking confidence in the bike on corner entry.

Pedrosa says: “But it’s strange because sometimes he does it.”

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“Especially during practice,” agrees Rossi.

“It depends on how the tyre is working?” asks Pedrosa.

Rossi then suggests the arrival of Marc Marquez has unsettled Bagnaia: “I think when Marquez arrives in the box and goes that fast, physiologically it’s not easy.”

Lorenzo compared Bagnaia’s riding style to his own: “He needs everything in the right place.”

“He’s a very precise rider, yes,” says Rossi. “A very polished riding style.”

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Lorenzo: “[But] when there’s something that he doesn’t like, he struggles.”

Rossi then pointed to a specific weakness in Bagnaia’s 2025 performances.

“Do you know what the biggest problem is? That his rear tyre drops a lot,” he said.

“During the last laps, Pecco is slower. And last season [2024] he was very strong during the last laps.”

Agostini, the all-time record holder of eight premier-class titles, suggested the issue might be mental.

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“But I think, Vale, that this is a mental problem,” he said. “He has been demoralised a bit… The head is everything.”

Bagnaia rebounded with a stunning double victory next time in Japan, before the problems returned in Indonesia.

The Italian scored points in just two of the final ten races, including a Sprint win at Sepang.

Meanwhile, Bezzecchi and Aprilia built on last year’s momentum, and he was the rider to beat throughout the 2026 Thai season opener.

The Italian fell from the lead of the Sprint but responded by leading every lap of the grand prix.

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Marquez, who has the chance to tie Agostini on eight premier-class titles this season, began the season with just nine points after being forced to retire from the grand prix due to wheel rim damage.

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Valentino Rossi: “Beating Marc Marquez with a worse bike? Impossible”

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