Valentino Rossi has downplayed Marco Bezzecchi’s chances of winning the MotoGP title, despite his impressive recent form. Bezzecchi has won three Grands Prix in a row, but not everyone is convinced it makes him a genuine threat to Marc Marquez.
Marquez was injured at the end of 2025 when Bezzecchi won two of those races, but there was no doubt who the quicker rider was when they met head-to-head in Thailand. Neil Hodgson had a brutal assessment of Marco Bezzecchi’s latest MotoGP victory
He even converted pole position in the Grand Prix. In the winter, he was widely seen as the biggest threat to Marquez, and he immediately justified that mantle.
Valentino Rossi doubtful over Marco Bezzecchi’s title prospects
Bezzecchi is widely regarded as the hardest-working of all Rossi’s academy graduates, and his efforts have paid off with three wins in just three weekends, nearly doubling his career total.
Following Thailand, where all four Aprilia bikes finished inside the top five, Bagnaia said Ducati were no longer the fastest team. But some put this down to Michelin’s rear-tyre casing which is only used at extremely hot circuits.
Marquez still isn’t fully fit after his aforementioned injury either, and when his recovery is complete, he is still expected to re-establish Ducati at the top of the MotoGP hierarchy.
If Ducati’s GP26 remains the best bike in the field, then Rossi doesn’t think Bezzecchi can win the title even though he has built a strong relationship with Aprilia over time.
Speaking at a dinner with MotoGP Hall of Fame riders, filmed last year and released recently, Rossi said: “At the moment, the most in-form guy is Bezzecchi. He is the one that trains the hardest. He’s very focused, he wants to win.
“In my opinion, he did a great job. But the Aprilia is a bit worse than the Ducati. So beating Marquez with a worse bike? Impossible.
“Do you know something about him? He is very sensitive giving feedback to the engineers, because he’s got a very aggressive riding style, but he understands what the bike does. That’s been important with the Aprilia.”
Aprilia pressured to pick between Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi in title race
Bezzecchi might have won three straight races, but he still doesn’t lead the championship. After Buriram, it’s Pedro Acosta who holds a seven-point advantage. The rookie picked up his first Sprint win before finishing second in the Grand Prix.
KTM’s Acosta has had moments of brilliance, but they’ve been inconsistent compared to Aprilia. Even so, Alberto Puig considers him a ‘special’ talent, mentioning him alongside Marquez and Rossi.
If Acosta is truly ready for a title challenge, one thing working in his favour is that he seems to have the measure of the other KTM riders at this stage.
Meanwhile, there are calls within Aprilia for Bezzecchi to be given priority over Jorge Martin. But even though Melandri supports this move, it may not be easy to justify. Martin isn’t just any teammate – he’s the reigning world champion and remains quick despite his expected move to Yamaha next season.
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