Marco Bezzecchi, who finished third in the MotoGP World Championship in 2023, begins this year’s season with higher expectations placed upon him. The rider from the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team is now seen as a solid contender for top positions, but he is aware that each season has its own story.
The rider stated at a press conference: ‘Last year is the past. Every year is very particular in this sport, so I have to focus on this year. In Sepang I struggled a bit, but in the test here in Doha I felt a lot better and I was starting to understanding better how to ride the new bike. I still have to change a bit my riding style, but I’m working on it and I’ll try for sure to be competitive and to be fast’.
After experiencing difficulties with the Ducati Desmosedici GP23 during the Sepang tests, Bezzecchi had to adapt to the bike, as he explained: ‘When I tried the new bike I felt that the bike was quite similar to my old one, but when I started to push on it I struggled more – especially on the entry. The stopping is a bit different and I have to adapt a bit more my riding style. I’m still working on it because is a very sensitive part of the riding and when you don’t have enough confidence it’s difficult to trust on the bike. In Malaysia I tried to modify more the bike without changing too much my riding style, but was not the way. From Sepang to Doha I studied a lot at home what I could do in a different way and then when I started the test here I tried to change more my riding style to the bike and was much better’.