Making the big MotoGP splash: Marco Bezzecchi talks about the fine margins

The rock and roll appearance of wild hair and ‘tats’ hides a deadly seriousness. Marco Bezzecchi, a 23-year-old from Rimini, Italy has won Grands Prix in two of MotoGP’s world championship categories and is firmly on the fast-track to more fame after grabbing a podium finish and emerging as Rookie of the Year in the premier class in 2022. ‘Bezz’ might look like he’s ready to thrash…but it will be Michelin race rubber, lap-times and his many rivals in the world championship rather than any instrument strings.

Bezzecchi is one of the brightest lights of Valentino Rossi’s VR46 Academy and has propelled himself to the forefront of MotoGP and the Ducati brand thanks to his rapid adaptation and frightening pace as part of the Mooney VR46 team.

“I think many people see him as the ‘future’,” opines VR46 Business Development Director and former MotoGP Team Director Johan Stigefelt. “You can see how hard he rides, how competitive he is. MotoGP is super-hard now and he’s here as a rookie but you know that another step is coming next year and he will challenge more for podiums. It will come naturally because he is that type of rider with a winning mentality.”
 

Marco has gone about subverting opinions in 2022. His results have impressed in his first term gunning the Desmosedici and a motorcycle that holds the 225mph top-speed record in the sport. He’s outperformed competitors that got the better of him in ’21 Moto2 and the hard-edged approach to Grand Prix doesn’t quite tell the whole truth. “He is like that…but also a very caring guy,” Stiggy adds. “He takes care of the people around him. He’s sensitive in a way, and so polite.”

Bezz is the subject of the latest Monster Energy movie series that pulls back the curtain on the relentless warriors that bend the limits of their fitness, minds and fears in motorcycle racing. “I liked doing it…but I also didn’t!” the softly-spoke racer smiles. “I usually want to keep my private life private, but the crew made me feel very comfortable and that gave me confidence. I think it’s a cool thing to do.”

#72 shares his thoughts and emotions of life in-and-around MotoGP and shows the work and demands away from the Grand Prix circuits that many fans often don’t see. To accompany the short film, we asked Marco about his memorable ’22 and how life has shifted…

On coping with a brighter spotlight…
If you go well you have more attention and then more pressure in the next races. If you go bad then you have the feeling that people expected a lot more. In this sport, in every sport actually, handling this is part of the job. I think, as riders, we have to put the [engine] ‘map’ for racing in our heads and we have to know how to deal with questions and media scrutiny. It’s OK.

On weighing the hopes of the fans…
I don’t think I have as many as other Italian riders but the ones I do have are all so nice. I receive a lot of support from people from my hometown or those at the tracks. I cannot complain about anything. It is one of the best parts of the job.

On being defined as the ‘surprise’ of 2022 MotoGP…
Well, in the end I think it is OK. For my first year in MotoGP I’ve made some very good races. If we look at people like Vale, Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo - riders from another era – then they had very strong rookie seasons but since then I think there have been some good ones and bad ones. I think we did what we had to do, and it’s OK if I am the ‘surprise’ of MotoGP this year. Last year I was fast in Moto2 but you never know if you can be fast in MotoGP. I was happy to be the surprise. MotoGP is a crazy world and circumstances can change quickly in sport. To go fast you need a lot of stuff: the bike, the team, the people around you that make you feel good, the calmness. You need to put all these pieces together to go well. When something goes out of place it is easy to have some troubles. 

On a highlight: qualifying 2nd at his home Grand Prix and making the top five or the 2nd place in Assen, his first MotoGP podium…
Well, of course Mugello was nice because it was my home GP but Assen was something more because it was a podium finish. It was another step in our development or our growth here. It was a big achievement because it was one target I had in mind – a bit of a dream actually – that I didn’t know if it would be possible in my first season. It was a ‘I can do it!’ moment and it meant I could work better. It was also a nice moment…we partied a lot after!

On balancing MotoGP and life away from the track…
In this regard I am good. I am able to switch off quite well. During the season, a long season, you need to be able to return home and do this because all the other hours of your life are for this [MotoGP]. You train, you work, you ride other bikes, you prepare: you do everything for a season. We have a small break in the summer and then another in the winter but you quickly come back around to what you need to do. I’m quite good at finding moments for me though and enjoying time with my family and friends. We don’t speak about bikes or races. I disconnect.

On the search for the next step and more improvement…
In the end, as we said, people expect a lot from you. For a new MotoGP season you cannot sit there and think ‘OK, I know what I have to do’. You have to push more because you have to do more…if not then you might not have a bike anymore! Every winter is, let’s say, different but also similar. When you switch category you know you have to work a lot because the next bike will be harder but then you cannot stop this progress. I think it is also one of the best parts of the job. It’s good to keep yourself motivated. 

Watch the full buzz about Marco Bezzecchi on YOUTUBE.COM/MONSTERENERGY now!