Marc Marquez seized the MotoGP championship lead at the San Marino Grand Prix after Aprilia pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi crashed out on the opening lap.
The Aprilia rider slid out at the Misano circuit’s Turn 13. The incident marked his fifth Sunday non-score in 14 rounds this season. This latest error leaves him 33 points adrift in the standings.
His repeated early-lap mistakes expose a serious flaw in his title campaign. They severely overshadow Aprilia’s sheer qualifying speed this weekend.
Full Fuel Loads Prove Costly
Bezzecchi rejected claims that the local crowd contributed to his mistake. Speaking to Crash.net, he stated: “No. When you start first you want to win. It doesn’t matter if it’s Misano.”
The Italian explained that his machine proved difficult to stop following a moment of instability.
“For sure, when you have a full fuel tank, you have to manage the braking point a little bit better,” Bezzecchi added. “I had a bit of a shake in the fast part, so when I braked I didn’t close the line perfectly and unfortunately I lost the front.”
Austria Provides Reset Opportunity
The rider avoided aggravating recent injuries sustained in Germany. He admitted he would assess his physical condition thoroughly the morning after the spill.
Bezzecchi remains eager to move past the setback. “Fortunately, we have Austria very soon, so we will go home, we will try to reset, we will work in the gym and then we’ll move to Spielberg.”
While Elfyn Evans defended second place under immense championship pressure in Chile this weekend, Bezzecchi must quickly regroup to keep his own hopes alive.
The premier class now heads directly to the Red Bull Ring for the Austrian Grand Prix.
