Bezzecchi a “championship contender”, TV experts agree: “He has just clicked!”
The Italian won his first-ever premier class race at the Argentina MotoGP, also handing his Mooney VR46 team their maiden victory.
He sits nine points clear of reigning champion, factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia, at the summit of the standings after the first two race weekends of 2023.
Sylvain Guintoli said on BT Sport: “Where he made the difference was at the start of the race. He was able to put down his lap times and nobody could live with him.
“He was great at the start. He got down to business so fast, there was no way for anybody to keep up with him. That gave him the ability to control the race later on.
“The big thing in the wet is to activate your style very fast. That makes all the difference. You have to take risks but it’s easy to go from hero to zero, especially in the first laps.
“Since he arrived at the first test he has performed in every condition. Strong in the dry, in the wet, fast in the sprint.
“He looks really complete, and he’s got a really good bike.”
Asked if Bezzecchi could maintain his electric start and fight for the championship, Guintoli replied: “100%. There are a lot of markers there. The work he puts in, the way he conducts himself. That first win could [open the floodgates].”
Michael Laverty added about Bezzecchi: “It was such a controlled effort. The level everyone is at, you just don’t see a 6s or 7s gap.
“He just missed the win on Saturday, he won Sunday, podium in Portimao - he’s a championship contender, you’ve got to say.
“He has just clicked. Over the winter he had a [bike that was] one step down from everybody’s last year. Ducati have now given everyone the same tools, pretty much. They’ve given him a proper race bike.”
