Marco Bezzecchi admitted he finally felt relieved after securing his first sprint podium of the 2026 MotoGP season at Le Mans. The Aprilia rider even described his poor sprint performances earlier this year as “nightmares” that followed him every day.
The current championship leader has otherwise been highly competitive in full-length grands prix throughout the opening phase of the season. Bezzecchi won the first three Sunday races of 2026 and added a second-place finish at the Spanish Grand Prix.
However, sprint races had become his biggest weakness so far this season. The Italian rider failed to score points in three of the opening four sprints, preventing him from building a stronger championship advantage despite his excellent Sunday form.
At Le Mans, Bezzecchi finally broke into the top three in a sprint for the first time in 2026. He briefly led the race in the opening laps before making a mistake at Turn 7 on lap three, allowing Francesco Bagnaia to move ahead.
According to Bezzecchi, the main issue throughout the sprint was the feeling from the front end of his RS-GP machine, which remained difficult to manage in the changing Le Mans conditions.
“Honestly, I was not really feeling comfortable at the beginning. The front of the bike was a bit of a problem for me,” said Bezzecchi.
“That is why I made the mistake at Turn 7 that allowed Pecco through. I also made a couple more mistakes while I was behind him, so it was impossible for me to stay with him.”
Despite losing contact with Bagnaia, Bezzecchi still managed to secure a podium finish by maintaining enough margin over Pedro Acosta behind him. The result finally ended the difficult sprint trend that had followed him through the early part of the season with Aprilia.
“Fortunately, it was enough to stay ahead of Pedro. That is why I am satisfied. Finally, a good result also on Saturday. It was something I was having nightmares about every day at home. So today finally feels good,” he added.
Bezzecchi’s podium came as teammate Jorge Martin delivered an impressive sprint victory after charging from eighth on the grid. Martin seized the lead at the Dunlop chicane on the opening lap before building a comfortable advantage to the chequered flag.
The result means the 2024 MotoGP world champion now trails Bezzecchi by only six points in the standings heading into Sunday’s main grand prix. The situation is expected to further intensify the 2026 title battle as Aprilia continues to show improving consistency across different track conditions.
Baca Juga
Alex Marquez mengalami kesulitan grip ban belakang di cuaca panas Le Mans, yang membuatnya terpuruk di posisi kedelapan saat Sprint Race.
Joan Mir menilai Honda semakin dekat ke podium MotoGP setelah tampil kompetitif pada sprint race Le Mans 2026.
Pecco Bagnaia gagal mengonversi pole position menjadi kemenangan di Sprint Race Le Mans akibat masalah wheelie dan degradasi ban depan.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!