BEZZECCHI SAYS 50-POINT TITLE GAP IS NO SMALL MATTER
29 Oct 2026·
Marco Bezzecchi has welcomed Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi’s confidence in his MotoGP title chances, but says the 50-point gap to championship leader Marc Marquez should not be dismissed as insignificant.
Speaking ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang, the Aprilia rider responded to Tardozzi’s assessment at Phillip Island that 50 points were “nothing” and that Bezzecchi could win every remaining race. “I appreciate it, obviously,” Bezzecchi said, before adding: “Not everything he said is true; 50 points is 50 points. It’s not like zero.”
He acknowledged that results can change quickly in racing and said he was grateful for the respect shown by Tardozzi and Ducati. But he stressed that closing the deficit would be difficult. “It will never be easy,” he said. “Anyway, I’m not complaining. I just want to do my best.”
Bezzecchi arrives in Malaysia after a recent dip in his title challenge. With Jorge Martin also dealing with injury, the Italian could be Aprilia’s leading contender in the standings. He finished third in last year’s championship after winning the final two rounds in Portugal and Valencia, but says the immediate priority is to avoid surrendering more ground.
“Of course it’s a little bit of a limit right now,” he said of the points gap. He wants to remain in contention for as long as the mathematics allows, while recognising the strength of his rivals. “It’s not easy because everyone is super quick. Obviously Marc, but also Jorge as well; don’t forget about him.” Bezzecchi said his aim is to perform as well as possible in every session, be competitive and fight for strong results.
Sepang presents another challenge. Bezzecchi has struggled at the circuit before, and it has not been among Aprilia’s strongest venues. He is therefore keeping expectations modest rather than drawing conclusions from the team’s earlier test there.
“Last year in the pre-season we felt better than in the race weekend,” he said. “So, our expectations are not so high. I don’t want to create too many thoughts for myself. I just want to jump on the bike and see how I feel.”
The winter test was more encouraging than the previous year’s, Bezzecchi noted, but he cautioned that testing form does not necessarily translate to a race weekend. His focus, he said, is to begin well and assess the situation once he is on track.