MARCO BEZZECCHI SAYS AUSTRIAN PODIUM DID NOT ERASE MISANO ERROR

Marco Bezzecchi insists his podium at the Austrian Grand Prix doesn’t erase the damage from the crash that derailed his previous weekend at Misano. The Aprilia rider followed up a difficult Misano outing with a strong performance in Austria, finishing third and securing a place on the podium. However, Bezzecchi was asked directly whether that result “makes up” for what happened at Misano, and he played down any sense of redemption.

Bezzecchi acknowledged that the podium didn’t change the outcome of his earlier mistake. “I didn’t set things right; I just did my job,” he told reporters, including GPOne. He added that his focus was always on racing hard and extracting the best from himself. “I’m trying to be a racer, and I have to try to bring out the best in myself at all times.”

The Misano crash still carries a heavy emotional weight for him, particularly because it came with championship consequences. The sources note that his crash at Misano allowed Marc Marquez to win the San Marino Grand Prix and reclaim the championship lead. Bezzecchi also revealed that Aprilia officials had warned him against first-lap heroics, and that ignoring that advice contributed to the crash. While he expressed regret, he framed the Misano incident as a moment he had to live with. “Obviously, I’m sorry about the mistake at Misano, but in the end, it was the only way to try to stop Marc.” He said the feeling of hurt remains, but he is trying to move forward: “As you can imagine, it hurts, but it’s in the past, and we did a good job here.”

Looking ahead, Bezzecchi said the Austrian result was a step in the right direction, but not a full correction of what went wrong at Misano. “Now we’re looking ahead—we’ve got some awesome races coming up, tracks I’m excited to race on.”

He also explained why he felt so encouraged by the improvement from one weekend to the next. Bezzecchi described the satisfaction of staying close to the front, while stressing how small differences can become significant on a complex circuit where tyre management is crucial. “It feels great when you manage to stay close,” he said. “In the end, I wasn’t far off, but on such a complex track, where tyre management is so crucial, even what seems like a small gap in the end is actually a lot.”

Bezzecchi credited his progress to analysis and openness to change. “I’m happy I worked this way; I analysed everything, and my brain is on fire right now,” he said. He added that he learned from others and kept his approach focused: “I’ve picked up a little from everyone; I’ve kept my head down and tried to stay open to the idea of trying anything to improve, so I’m happy.”

Despite the optimism, the championship picture remains challenging. The sources state there is a 42-point gap between Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin, meaning he would need a lot to go in his favour to win his first MotoGP world title.