Catapulted leader of Aprilia, Marco Bezzecchi surprises in Buriram

Aprilia approached this 2025 season with renewed confidence, as did its rider duo. Exit Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales, make way for world champion Jorge Martín and Italian Marco Bezzecchi, third in the 2023 season. Both with the experience of having ridden the best machine on the grid, the Ducati, their feedback was highly anticipated during the first pre-season tests. Unfortunately, Martín broke his right hand and left foot in an impressive highside at Sepang, forcing him to miss the rest of the preliminary tests in 2025.

Marco Bezzecchi then became, by force of circumstances, the main man on whom Aprilia must rely to validate the technical choices at the engine level for the next two seasons. The parts selected for 2025 will also be used for 2026, in order to allow the teams to work on the next regulatory package of the MotoGP, which will see the track in competition in 2027. With Raúl Fernández also diminished after a crash at Sepang, and Ai Ogura making his premier class debut (both men ride for Aprilia's satellite team Trackhouse), Bezzecchi is the only one capable of making the decisions. And given his fourth place on the timesheet this Wednesday, things seem to be going well for him!

“We picked up where we left off in Sepang, and honestly, I’m pretty happy.”, he explained on the microphone of MotoGP official website. “We tried some new things, we still have some to test. Day by day I feel better and better on the bike, so it definitely helps to ride it better. It’s not bad, I didn’t analyse the pace of the other riders, but I felt comfortable. I tried some tyres, the medium and the soft on the rear, and I was competitive with both. I can’t complain!”

Braking, Aprilia's weak point

The Buriram circuit in Thailand is seen as a perhaps more revealing test than the Sepang track in Malaysia. With lower grip, and real hard braking zones (including the hairpin at the end of the long straight in the first sector), the Thai track allows Aprilia to work on its weaknesses, mainly in braking. While the imposing front wing helps keep the front tyre firmly on the ground, it is the rear that suffers, as Bezzecchi explains. The number 72 is nevertheless satisfied to see that things seem to be going in the right direction, both in terms of the bike and his personal riding.

“In Sepang we already had problems with braking, the bike is very stable at the front but the rear is a bit too aggressive, shaking a bit too much. This circuit is very useful to work on this problem, because it has several areas of heavy braking. Honestly, we are making progress, but I also need to understand better how to ride the bike. This afternoon I understood something that I liked but I still need time on the bike. I hope that these two days will give me good feelings to understand even better what I need and what I have to do to ride at my best.”

This Thursday, the final day of pre-season testing will be crucial for all teams and drivers, in order to select engine specifications, and complete preparations for a very long season, with 22 Grands Prix on the calendar…

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