“Big negative” identified for Marco Bezzecchi despite fast Aprilia start

Marco Bezzecchi faces a “big negative” despite his good start at Aprilia.

His debut as a factory rider at the 2025 season-opening Thailand MotoGP yielded a P6 finish.

He qualified ninth and ended the sprint race in 12th, but it was a step forward from his nightmare 2024 when he failed to get to grips with his year-old Ducati.

Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin were an eye-catching duo paired together by Aprilia, but the reigning MotoGP champion’s season hasn’t yet started due to injury.

Problem posed for Marco Bezzecchi

“It is testament to Aprilia signing two incredibly talented riders, not a strong No1 and an ‘alright’ No2,” TNT Sports’ Neil Hodgson said.

“Bezzecchi was third in the world two seasons ago, but had a disaster last season.

“He never got on with the ‘23 spec Ducati, he said from the first test that he hated it.

“His teammate is now injured but that has worked well for Bezzecchi.

“He gets all the attention from the team and he can steer the development of the bike to his riding style.

“They are still experimenting and he can control it.”

Martin’s hand injury was suffered just days prior to the Thailand MotoGP.

It came in addition to the bumps and bruises from his highside during Sepang testing.

Despite his assertion that Bezzecchi can benefit as the sole factory rider for Aprilia, Hodgson also noted a problem.

“Not having a super fast teammate getting data is a big negative throughout the weekend,” he said.

“Ducati went so well because they had eight bikes, it makes it easier to evaluate tyre life.”

The real eye-catcher from within the Aprilia ranks in Thailand was Ai Ogura.

The Moto2 champion was making his premier class debut at Buriram.

Ogura qualified fifth, then registered a P4 and a P5 in the two races of the weekend.

Riding for Aprilia’s Trackhouse satellite project, he was a welcome boost for the manufacturer who were missing their star signing Martin.