MotoGP manager explains Bezzecchi/Aprilia slump: “The vase is broken!”

Marco Bezzecchi got off to a flying start in the 2026 MotoGP season. The Aprilia rider won the opening Grands Prix in Buriram, Goiânia and Austin, and made another strong statement in the battle for the world title with his emotional home victory at Mugello. For a long time, the Italian led the World Championship.

However, in recent weeks, his season has increasingly gone off the rails. Following the collision with team-mate Jorge Martin at Balaton Park, the subsequent slap in Brno – which resulted in a race ban – and the heavy crashes at Assen and the Sachsenring, Bezzecchi lost not only a lot of points but also the championship lead. He heads into the summer break in fourth place in the World Championship.

How Pernat explains the setbacks

For long-standing MotoGP rider manager Carlo Pernat, however, this turn of events is no coincidence. Speaking to SPEEDWEEK.com, the Italian first points to the completely changed circumstances within the Aprilia factory team.

Carlo Pernat

Foto: Gold & Goose

“You have to be very careful when talking about Marco Bezzecchi,” emphasised Pernat. “Last year, Marco was lucky enough to be the sole rider in the team because Jorge Martín wasn’t there and Lorenzo Savadori was his team-mate. With all due respect to Lorenzo: he is not a regular MotoGP rider. The entire Aprilia team was behind Bezzecchi; he was everything to Aprilia.”

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Pernat highlights that, despite his fighting spirit, Bezzecchi now faces a significantly tougher challenge. “He has the character of a fighter and has created a very good atmosphere. But we mustn’t forget that he only started winning once Marc was injured. This year, he has to beat Márquez and his team-mate Martin – and Martin is a very difficult team-mate.”

Jorge Martin

Foto: Gold & Goose

The fact that Martin will be moving to Yamaha at the end of the season further complicates the situation. “Martin wants to win at any cost. He couldn’t care less about his team-mate. We’ve seen what happened with Bonora and the others,” said Pernat, alluding to the controversial incident in the Aprilia pit when Martin took his frustration out on Paolo Bonora.

The role played by the start incident in Hungary

In Pernat’s view, the incident at Balaton Park has permanently altered the atmosphere within the works team. “The team used to be like a champagne bubble – everything was going well. Since Hungary, everything’s gone wrong. People in the team are giving each other dirty looks; the riders aren’t speaking to one another, and the race engineers aren’t speaking to one another either. The atmosphere is now poor. Somehow, the vase has shattered.”

Jorge Martin verursachte in Ungarn einen Massencrash

Foto: gold & goose

From a sporting perspective, however, the Italian sees a clear way out of the crisis for Bezzecchi. “He needs to change his attitude and do it like Marquez. Marc managed to deal with difficult situations after returning from his injury.”

Above all, the mental challenge is greater today than it was last year. “Bezzecchi is now under pressure from Martin within Aprilia and, at the same time, under pressure from Marquez, who I believe is the main contender for the world title. That’s double the pressure – a situation he didn’t face last year. That’s a very, very important aspect.”

Despite the difficult course of the season, Pernat’s interim assessment is by no means damning. On the contrary: “My assessment of Bezzecchi’s first half of the season is: good. He was at the top of the championship for much of the season.”