{"id":538222,"date":"2026-03-13T17:41:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T17:41:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/538222\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T17:41:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T17:41:09","slug":"valentino-rossi-beating-marc-marquez-with-a-worse-bike-impossible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/538222\/","title":{"rendered":"Valentino Rossi: \u201cBeating Marc Marquez with a worse bike? Impossible\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Marco Bezzecchi\u2019s brilliant form at Aprilia and Francesco Bagnaia\u2019s Ducati woes were among the topics discussed during a unique get together of former 500cc\/MotoGP stars.<\/p>\n<p>Local Italian legends <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crash.net\/motogp\/racer\/1999\/valentino-rossi\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Valentino Rossi<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crash.net\/motogp\/racer\/1364\/giacomo-agostini\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Giacomo Agostini <\/a>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.<\/p>\n<p>Footage of the conversation, released by MotoGP.com, shows Lorenzo asking Rossi which rider from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crash.net\/motogp\/teams\/pertamina-enduro-vr46-racing\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">VR46 <\/a>Academy currently looks strongest.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the moment, the most in-form guy is Bezzecchi,\u201d replied Rossi.<\/p>\n<p>Pedrosa admitted the Italian had surprised him after switching from Ducati machinery to Aprilia.<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI didn\u2019t think it would be like this,\u201d Pedrosa said. \u201cMoving from Ducati\u2026 it\u2019s like making a step backwards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s more difficult,\u201d Rossi agreed. \u201cBut he is in form.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rossi also pointed to Bezzecchi\u2019s dedication during training at The Doctor\u2019s Moto Ranch in nearby Tavullia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[Bez] is the one that trains the hardest,\u201d Rossi said. \u201cAlso at the ranch, he\u2019s fast.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s very focussed. He wants to win. Now. He\u2019s very hungry. In my opinion, he did a great job.<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut the Aprilia is a bit worse than the Ducati. So, beating Marquez with a worse bike? Impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rossi then highlighted a Bezzecchi trait that Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola has also praised.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s got great feel,\u201d Rossi said. \u201cHe is very sensitive giving feedback to the engineers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s got a very aggressive riding style, but he understands what the bike does. And that\u2019s been important with the Aprilia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bezzecchi raced for Rossi\u2019s VR46 Ducati team before switching to the factory Aprilia team for 2025.<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>Later in the Misano weekend, Bezzecchi won the Sprint after Marquez crashed, then challenged the eventual world champion for victory in the Grand Prix.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/gng_1133800_hires_1600x900.jpg\"   type=\"image\/jpeg\" alt=\"Francesco Bagnaia, Valentino Rossi, Marco Bezzecchi, 2024 Spanish MotoGP.\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.78\"\/> <\/p>\n<p>Francesco Bagnaia, Valentino Rossi, Marco Bezzecchi, 2024 Spanish MotoGP.<\/p>\n<p> \u00a9\u00a0Gold and Goose<\/p>\n<p>  Rossi: \u201cPecco is a bit lost now\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The conversation then turns to another VR46 rider; Ducati\u2019s struggling double <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crash.net\/motogp\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MotoGP<\/a> champion <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crash.net\/motogp\/racer\/911999\/francesco-bagnaia\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Francesco Bagnaia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPecco is unfortunately a bit lost now,\u201d says Rossi.<\/p>\n<p>Lorenzo asked whether the issue is related to the bike.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBraking and entering, where he was so strong last [2024] season, now he has some difficulties,\u201d replies Rossi.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s always like this,\u201d Rossi adds, gesturing at Bagnaia lacking confidence in the bike on corner entry.<\/p>\n<p>Pedrosa says: \u201cBut it\u2019s strange because sometimes he does it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEspecially during practice,\u201d agrees Rossi.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt depends on how the tyre is working?\u201d asks Pedrosa.<\/p>\n<p>Rossi then suggests the arrival of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crash.net\/motogp\/racer\/1654\/marc-marquez\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Marc Marquez <\/a>has unsettled Bagnaia: \u201cI think when Marquez arrives in the box and goes that fast, physiologically it\u2019s not easy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lorenzo compared Bagnaia\u2019s riding style to his own: \u201cHe needs everything in the right place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s a very precise rider, yes,\u201d says Rossi. \u201cA very polished riding style.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>Lorenzo: \u201c[But] when there\u2019s something that he doesn\u2019t like, he struggles.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rossi then pointed to a specific weakness in Bagnaia\u2019s 2025 performances.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you know what the biggest problem is? That his rear tyre drops a lot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDuring the last laps, Pecco is slower. And last season [2024] he was very strong during the last laps.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Agostini, the all-time record holder of eight premier-class titles, suggested the issue might be mental.<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I think, Vale, that this is a mental problem,\u201d he said. \u201cHe has been demoralised a bit\u2026 The head is everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bagnaia rebounded with a stunning double victory next time in Japan, before the problems returned in Indonesia.<\/p>\n<p>The Italian scored points in just two of the final ten races, including a Sprint win at Sepang.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Bezzecchi and Aprilia built on last year\u2019s momentum, and he was the rider to beat throughout the 2026 Thai season opener.<\/p>\n<p>The Italian fell from the lead of the Sprint but responded by leading every lap of the grand prix.<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p> Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Subscribe to our MotoGP Newsletter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Marco Bezzecchi\u2019s brilliant form at Aprilia and Francesco Bagnaia\u2019s Ducati woes were among the topics discussed during a&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":538223,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[572],"tags":[64,63,26426,7607,108406,20874,10732,806,805,803,804,85,20420],"class_list":["post-538222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-motosport","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-dani-pedrosa","tag-francesco-bagnaia","tag-giacomo-agostini","tag-jorge-lorenzo","tag-marco-bezzecchi","tag-motor","tag-motor-sports","tag-motosport","tag-motosports","tag-sports","tag-valentino-rossi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=538222"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538222\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/538223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=538222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=538222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=538222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}