Third place feels like a win: Bezzecchi sealed Aprilia’s triumph in England

Right from the start, Marco Bezzecchi was well clear at the front. On the outside line, the Italian made a bold move up to third place on the approach to Turn 2. It took a while for him to find his rhythm, partly because the Marquez brothers and Pedro Acosta were in top form at the start of the race.

Yet it was the rider who was supposedly in the worst physical condition who outlasted his rivals over the distance – without making a single mistake.

To say that Bezzecchi was lost for words would be an understatement – he simply couldn’t speak. In a mixture of emotional overwhelm and physical exhaustion, the rider from Rimini – now back in second place in the World Championship – was unable to speak to the media in the parc fermé. Apart from a faint thank you to his team, Marco Bezzecchi could not muster any words immediately after the gruelling effort.

Even as Bezzecchi made his way back to the paddock, an enthusiastic team manager, Paolo Bonora, bellowed into the team microphone: “Thank you, Marco, for your effort!”

The fact that Bezzecchi defended third place against Alex Márquez right up to the finish line not only secured the MotoGP project from Noale its second triple podium in less than 24 hours. This latest triumph also played a decisive role in reshuffling the positions in the World Championship standings in Aprilia’s favour. Bezzecchi is 31 points behind championship leader and team-mate Jorge Martín and six points ahead of Ai Ogura, also on an Aprilia. Marc Márquez’s push forward has been halted for the time being. The fact that Bezzecchi beat the world champion in both races following two operations in the wake of the Sachsenring crash is yet another remarkable story of the 2026 MotoGP season.