This has not been an easy season so far for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team duo, as after four rounds, eight races in total, the best result was a third place for Marco Bezzecchi, and Valentino Rossi sees this, in general terms, as a season where the team is facing some difficulties and has asked for time.
In statements to the official championship website, Rossi acknowledged the difficulties faced by Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio: ‘It seems that the season is proving to be a bit tougher than last year. It’s different compared to the new bike and we need a bit more experience as a team to prepare the bike. We need more time for them to push the bike to the limit, which at the moment is a bit complicated because they have to ride in a different way, cover a lot of kilometers…’
The Spanish GP in Jerez, however, proved to be a return to what the team is capable of, as Bezz achieved the first podium – finishing third – of the season in the long race, while DiGia was seventh: ‘It seems that we are gradually improving. It’s always tough because there are many strong bikes and riders out there. Bezzecchi managed to lead in Jerez and we are starting to be competitive again’.
After four rounds, Bezzecchi is ninth in the overall standings with 36 points, while last year, at the same time in the championship, he had 65 points, with the round in Argentina, which will not happen this year, alone yielding 34 points.
