Let's talk MotoGP: Marco Bezzecchi risks regretting this momentous decision

The 2024 season starts today! Until the first Grand Prix of the Season, Parlons MotoGP will try to detail as best as possible the expectations surrounding all the riders, Marco Bezzecchi's turn. This will be accompanied by a short prediction, and of course, you are invited to give yours in comments. Yesterday, we continued this series with Fabio Quartararo, in an article that you can find by clicking here.

 

A daring choice, but a profitable one?

 

Marco Bezzecchi was excellent last year. Winner of three Grands Prix – including a demonstration in India, he dazzled the motorcycle world with his talent. In addition to being gifted on the handlebars, he is a real character in the paddock MotoGP. The Italian leaves for another year with the VR46 team, this time dressed in yellow and white. As this new season approaches, several questions come to mind, because I am not sure that he will be able to repeat. Let me explain.

In 2023, he was sensational, especially in the first part of the year. He was able to chat with the best drivers in the world, starting with his great friend Pecco Bagnaia, although he remained on top most of the time. But it is clear that his injury suffered during the overseas tour hampered him considerably.. His direct return to Indonesia was successful, but the rest, a little less.

 

 

And at the end of the year, when I do the accounts, I wonder if he wasn't a little outclassed. Is he really the third force on the board ahead of Brad Binder, Marc Marquez, or even Enea Bastianini at the top of his form? I doubt. It is possible to analyze his successes, all acquired with a phenomenal advance.

In Argentina, nothing to say. Even if Pecco Bagnaia had not fallen to second position, he would not have been worried about achieving his first success at the highest level. In France, on the other hand, I think that this same Bagnaia would have caused him problems, a lot of problems. If we take stock, Bezzecchi only beat his academy friend in a duel once a year, during the Sprint on the Assen circuit.. The next day he was beaten. Silverstone, too, did not turn out to his advantage as he fell trying to follow the reigning world champion.

Finally, in India, nothing to say either. He was not operating in the same dimension as all his colleagues, and would undoubtedly have won the Sprint in addition to the Grand Prix if not for this collision with Luca Marini at the start. But this was only the first performance at Buddh; the first times, in MotoGP, sometimes leave room for surprises, like Oliveira in Portugal or Iannone in Austria. Adaptation plays a big role, and a route can suit a very particular driving style without others having time to get used to it. In 2024, I think he will still be playing up front in India, but the others will have learned; I don't see him winning by more than eight seconds as was the case.

 

 

There comes another problem; his team. When he signed his renewal with Ducati VR46, Pramac Racing had not acquired this status of competing team with official training. And now, the GP24 looks diabolical, more so than the GP23 which never convinced Pecco Bagnaia 100% for example. Valentino Rossi and his men managed the feat of keeping it, but he found himself with double pressure; on the one hand, he must do at least as well as last year to see his progress, and on the other, stay high enough in the ranking so as not to slip in the hierarchy of Ducati riders. Because Pramac Racing didn't wait for it.

There are already rumors about Moto2's Fermin Aldeguer for 2025, while Enea Bastianini has returned to the factory team. Barring any surprises, Jorge Martin should remain among the elite. And watch out for Marc Marquez at Gresini Racing, just like Fabio Di Giannantonio in his own box; what he showed at the end of the season was not much worse than Bezzecchi's best performances in the first part of the season. Staying with family is cool, but stagnating and moving away from the official place is much less so.

 

 

The prognosis

 

He was not the author of major winter tests, but once again, it is difficult to rely on him. For next year, I imagine a Bezzecchi still capable of fighting up front, with his qualities, and always improving. However, and even if it will be less tangible, I also see him falling back a little in the general classification, to get closer to his “real” place, that is to say between 4th and 6th position.

The Desmosedici GP23 performs well, but I see a bigger gap with the GP24 than there was between the GP23 and the very versatile GP22 last year. In search of speed, I predict more falls, because he now has a status to assume, and a teammate potentially stronger than before at his side. He will push to establish his place, and at the very least, not be forgotten within the Ducati contingent. As a result, his season would not be a failure, but not a success either.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it's the game of predictions and I will come back to it in detail next November. It’s up to you to tell us what you predict for the “Bez” in 2024 in the comments!

 

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport