MotoGP | Because Bezzecchi embodies the character of Valentino Rossi

Marco Bezzecchi showed up at the last briefing of the 2023 MotoGP season with a beer in hand, shortly after being involved in a contact on the first lap of the Valencia race with Marc Márquez, who he defined as “the dirtiest rider” of the category.

The rider from Viserba gives the impression of a calm and relaxed character, who wanders carefree in the MotoGP paddock, as if it were a playground. It's easy to understand where this impression comes from. Pertamina VR46 and the Academy that trained Bezzecchi are, of course, owned by the legendary Valentino Rossi.

The nine-time world champion has won the hearts of millions by being a “rock star” off the track, adding to his impressive talent on the track. The racing was fun, but Rossi never lost sight of the dedication needed to sustain success for a long time. This is an approach that permeates all the endeavors the Tavullia native has undertaken in his racing career, and is very evident in his riders, including Bezzecchi.

“The balance between fun and work and good results have to remain focused in a balanced way,” Pertamina VR46 director Uccio Salucci told Motorsport.com in 2023. “We are definitely a family and fun team. But we have to stay focused.”

Bezzecchi learned quickly in the World Championship: in 2017, his first year in Moto3, he immediately climbed onto the podium, then fought for the title in his second year, 2018. His transition to Moto2 in 2019 was difficult due to the lack of brilliant KTM chassis he had, but arriving at the VR46 in 2020, on a Kalex, gave him two victories. In 2021 he was not up to par with the title contenders, but Bez he remained third in the standings and earned promotion to MotoGP for the following season.

In 2022, Bezzecchi stood out from the rest of the rookie, taking a podium at Assen and finishing the year 87 points ahead of the other newcomer, Fabio Di Giannantonio. His second year in the premier class was exceptional, taking three race victories and ending 2023 in third place in the overall standings on a year-old Ducati and remaining in title contention as an outsider until the Malaysian GP.

“I expected to go fast, but never to get so many good results, especially because it's only my second season,” the 25-year-old explained to Motorsport.com about his 2023 season. “But as soon as we started, I saw that with I felt safe with the bike and that I was going fast, making good times in the tests. But the test compared to the race weekend is always different, so I wanted to wait until Portimao, which was a track that normally didn't give me a good feeling. So , when I got on the podium in the race, I said to myself 'ok, this year I will be strong in every race'. But I didn't expect to fight for the championship.”

The #72 attributes his big step up from 2022 to his experience with the Ducati, but also to being “in better shape to ride the bike”. Being part of the group of eight Borgo Panigale riders also allowed him to access a lot of data with which he was able to improve.

Consistency is something that has sometimes eluded Bezzecchi in 2023, with excellent grands prix often followed by dips in form. After the victory in Argentina, he was sixth in Austin. After the victory at Le Mans, he was second in the Mugello Sprint, but only eighth on Sunday. A collarbone injury at the end of the season didn't help him, but he admits that the big weakness that needs to be corrected is his start.

“What I know I miss and what I'm trying to improve is the start,” he explains. “For this reason, in the first two laps I am not yet very strong, especially if I start in the group. I struggle to start and lose some positions, so at the beginning of the race it is very difficult to recover. Sometimes I succeed, like in Austria or in Thailand, but sometimes it's more complicated. Or you can have an accident. In India I was involved, but I was in pole position. The start is still a problem I have. I try to solve it. Sometimes I find the solution and sometimes not “.

Some of his starting problems, however, are not entirely his fault. He did not receive the updated starter that Ducati riders have had available since mid-year. However, Bezzecchi insists that “I need to improve”, just as he needs his bike to evolve. His decision to remain with the VR46 in 2024 on an old Desmosedici (the 2023 one, ed) may seem a bit strange, given that he had been offered to ride an official GP24 with the Pramac team.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Valentino Rossi isn't a “pretend” team owner, which has helped Bezzecchi to grow in his second year

The rider from Romagna felt that remaining in the current environment was the best thing for him, not only to evolve as a driver, but also to ensure that, when the majority of contracts with official teams expire at the end of 2024, he will not have lost the train struggling at the beginning of 2024 to adapt to the new environment in Pramac.

“If I have to change teams, I want to move to a factory team,” he says. “But a real factory team. Pramac has one, of course, but it's not the official Ducati team. And for me, moving from one satellite team to another doesn't make sense, even if the bike is a little better. In the end , my dream is to join the official Ducati team. So why do I have to change the team made especially for me, with the people who chose me at the beginning of last year, to go to another team with the same bike – a little better, but not a real factory bike – with completely different people?”.

“My goal, and also that of the Academy, is to develop the riders and bring them to make the leap to a factory team. So, until I have the chance to do so, I won't change. But my decision has been made because I want to go to Ducati, the red one.”

The problem will be the space available, with Pecco Bagnaia now a two-time MotoGP world champion, with Jorge Martin coming close to the title with Pramac and, of course, with the arrival of Marc Marquez at the Gresini team. For the moment, this is “not a problem” for Bezzecchi.

Coming from him, you can sense that he means it sincerely. And this testifies to the work that VR46 has done to create an environment in which Marco can be himself: a driver who loves to “have a lot of fun” but also “work deeply” on his races.

“The team is doing a wonderful job,” he continues. “My whole team is fantastic, I've known them for many years and I have a great relationship with them. Also, we take care of all the details at home because I have the chance to work with Uccio, Matteo Flamigni, because they are Italian. So, for me, it's important to have this relationship to try to meet sometimes even at home, to have lunch and to talk about everything, not just motorbikes”.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Marco Bezzecchi, VR46 Racing Team

“But building this relationship with them was important for me. Also, all of them want to fight for victories, podiums and good results. They are all motivated, so I am too, although I have a lot of fun and I like being with them But when it's time to work, I like to work hard to achieve my goals, and they are like me. We are very similar in this and we motivate and recharge each other. They are also very good technically.

Representing the Valentino Rossi brand – and thus carrying on its immense legacy – should be a scary prospect. But Bezzecchi sees it as “a privilege more than a pressure”, because Rossi “is not a team owner who pretends. He wants you to go fast, but if you have problems he is the first to come and help you”.

After his second season in MotoGP, it is not difficult to understand why Rossi took Bezzecchi under his wing and continued to place his trust in him. His decision to turn down an official bike to stay in an environment that allows him to thrive speaks volumes about his maturity and his strength as he looks forward to being even more competitive in 2024, with a more advanced one-year package.

Valentino Rossi and the Academy have already had success in the championship thanks to Bagnaia. But Bezzecchi is quickly becoming a rider more than capable of adding to his list of honors in the future.