Marco Bezzecchi caught out at the start of the Sprint in Jerez: "I was unlucky, it was beyond my control."

Having qualified on the second row, Marco Bezzecchi saw his ambitions vanish as soon as the race began. While he could have been a contender, a twist of fate – a protective visor caught under his Aprilia – ruined his start, instantly relegating him to the back of the pack, in fifteenth place.

« I spun my wheels because I had a visor protector under my bike. It seems Álex Márquez took it off in the last corner. I was right behind him and it got caught in my front fairing and then went underneath. he explained to the media present at the scene, including AUTOWeekly. I was unlucky; it was beyond my control. I can only do better tomorrow."

TEAR-OFF DRAMA 🔎

Here's what happened moments before Bez's poor start 👀#SpanishGP 🇪🇸 | #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/inQE5QtNUn

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) April 25, 2026

This twist of fate was merely the prelude to a difficult Saturday. Betrayed by still-cold discs under a threatening sky, the Italian then paid a heavy price against the capricious weather conditions of the Andalusian track. I tried to warm up my brakes in the pit lane, in the braking zones of the first corner, but they weren't warm when I got to the second corner, so I lost the front end. It wasn't very fast, but enough to crash."

The drivers return to the pits and Bezzecchi crashes 🚨

The race takes another turn 😮‍💨#SpanishGP | #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/JSPWpmkY7v

- CANAL + MotoGP ™ (@CanalplusMotoGP) April 25, 2026

Despite his fall, number 72 refused to give up. Nor did he want to give up his motorcycle. The Italian found himself trapped under his heavy machine, waiting for the track marshals to help him free himself. I was going slowly so I tried to stay on to keep going, but as soon as I hit the gravel, my arms let go of the bike, but not my legs. I didn't want to let go (Laughs) "That's all," joked number 72, presumably unharmed by the incident. Marco Bezzecchi was unable to reach the finish line.

The Rimini native nevertheless retains his lead in the overall standings. A leadership position that doesn't seem to weigh on his shoulders. It doesn't change much for me. I still feel terrible when I lose a race or crash. In a race like that, you never feel good, even if you're not fighting for the front. If you really care about what you're doing, you feel awful. Luckily, I'm fighting for a good result, but there's nothing I can do except focus on tomorrow's race. »

Marco Bezzecchi's crash capped off a difficult Saturday for the Aprilia factory team, who failed to score any championship points. Jorge Martin also retired, in his case in the early laps due to an overheating brake disc. However, all is not lost for the championship leader, who will aim to extend his winning streak in Grand Prix races on Sunday, currently standing at five.

Interview by Luca Bartolomeo, in Jerez.

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