Early praise for Marco Bezzecchi from former Valentino Rossi engineer
Marco Bezzecchi has received early praise from a former Aprilia engineer who previously worked with Valentino Rossi in the early years of his career.
Bezzecchi has been in fantastic form so far this season, and that continued over the weekend in Austin. The Italian started on pole position and rode out the race to take his third victory of the season and move clear at the top of the championship standings.
In doing so, Bezzecchi became the first rider to win two Grands Prix at COTA since Marquez – an impressive feat given how much Marquez had owned Austin throughout his prime years.
Bezzecchi’s rise has also come at a perfect time for Aprilia, with Aleix Espargaro set to retire from MotoGP at the end of this season.
The Spaniard was replaced by Pedro Acosta back in Portugal, after starting 2025 with three DNFs in five races. And although he still carries an enormous reputation within Aprilia and is seen as one of their greatest riders ever, it feels like this team now belongs to Bezzecchi.
Former Aprilia engineer sees Marco Bezzecchi as more like Valentino Rossi than Max Biaggi
Giulio Bernardelle, speaking to Moto.it, was asked to compare Bezzecchi to two of Aprilia’s most iconic riders – Max Biaggi and Valentino Rossi – and he leaned toward the latter.
“No, they are very different. Both in terms of riding and in terms of character. I know Marco Bezzecchi very little.
“But from what I’ve seen of him on the track, during interviews, I see him much more similar to Valentino Rossi than to Biaggi.”
Even with such high praise, Bernardelle stopped short of putting Bezzecchi alongside Aprilia’s greatest riders just yet. Still, the connection to Rossi is hard for anyone in the sport to ignore.
Marco Bezzecchi misses out on a top-three spot in Aprilia history, according to Giulio Bernardelle
In the same interview, Bernardelle was asked about who he considers to be the most influential riders in Aprilia’s history. Bezzecchi wasn’t mentioned, with the former engineer choosing Alessandro Gramigni, Max Biaggi, and Valentino Rossi instead.
“The riders of the 90s, in my opinion, are all important, because they are all riders who have created, with the results, the pride that we feel.
“From Alessandro Gramigni, who won the first title, to move on to Biaggi, who was the one who started consecutive victories.
“Then, Valentino Rossi, who was certainly the most imaginative champion, right? It was an honour, in my opinion, for Aprilia to have started the career of a rider who will remain in the history books.
“These are pilots who have truly done something absolutely important, and who have had more influence than other riders.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
