Marco Bezzecchi secured a fortunate third place in the sprint race at Balaton Park, admitting his Aprilia RS-GP lacked pace and grip. The Italian, far from his usual form, capitalised on rivals’ mistakes to salvage a podium finish.
MotoGP returns to Hungary for the Balaton Park Grand Prix, and Marco Bezzecchi appears to be facing a challenging weekend. While the Italian secured an unexpected third place in the sprint race, he acknowledged that outright performance was lacking. The result confirms the struggles Aprilia is experiencing on a circuit that has seemingly lost grip compared to last year.
A Complicated Qualifying, a Lifesaving Start
Marco Bezzecchi showed signs of weakness from the outset in qualifying. “I made a few mistakes,” he confessed, explaining his sixth-place starting position on the grid – far from ideal for challenging at the front. However, the sprint race start offered the Italian a brief respite. Benefiting from a strong launch, he immediately moved up to third, slotting in behind the leaders.
It was then that the pressure mounted. Fermín Aldeguer, hot on his heels, applied constant pressure. But the Spaniard eventually made a mistake, gifting Bezzecchi a crucial reprieve. Bezzecchi, unable to match the blistering pace of Marc Márquez and Pedro Acosta, managed to capitalise on this opportunity to hold onto his position until the chequered flag.
A Podium Scraped, Not Earned
“It was a tough sprint and it’s a good result,” summarised the Aprilia rider, as quoted by the official MotoGP website. “It’s not a win, we know it’s not second place, but it’s third. I’m happy.” This satisfaction was tinged with disappointment, as the lack of performance was palpable. “I gave everything to get this good result. At the start, I was perhaps the slowest in the leading group.”
On track, Bezzecchi battled to maintain his pace. “I had to fight a lot with Fermín, he was very fast. I tried to resist but he was better. Fortunately, I wasn’t bad under braking,” he admitted. The race pace was far from sufficient to challenge the frontrunners. “Lap after lap, I found a good rhythm, not as fast as the first two, Pedro and Marc, but it was enough to have a small gap and manage until the end.”
An Aprilia Struggling on a Demanding Circuit
The assessment is clear: the Aprilia RS-GP was not in its element at Balaton Park. Bezzecchi described a less performing bike, particularly under braking, after a slight contact with Aldeguer. “I was lucky because I had a small gap and, finally, my pace improved. I think my bike was a bit damaged. It was a little worse under braking, but I managed to hold on until the end, so I can’t complain.”
The primary culprit appears to be the lack of grip on the Hungarian circuit. “This week, the conditions are quite different from last year. Overall, the track offers less grip,” explained Bezzecchi. “If you look at the lap times, they are quite a bit slower than last year… It’s difficult to find consistency, it’s difficult to find conditions to improve or at least do better in each session.” The feeling was akin to riding “on ice” in the opening laps.
The lack of grip at Balaton Park complicates the task for Aprilia riders.
Intouchable Rivals
Facing increasingly sharp competition, Bezzecchi had to make do with his strengths. “The fastest guys, like Marc, Pedro, Fermín, Pecco, and Diggia, they have something extra,” he admitted. “They brake hard, they turn very fast and very tight. They are good in all parts of the track.” The dominance shown at Mugello during the previous Grand Prix seems a distant memory.
“Mugello is behind us. We are at Balaton, we have to think about this GP,” insisted Bezzecchi. He prefers to focus on the positives: “I did my best today. That’s what I’m happy about because it was possible to do better. It’s perhaps a bit better than I expected. I’m very happy.”
Tyre Choice for the Race?
Uncertainty also surrounds the tyre choice for the main race. Typically stronger in the race than in the sprint, Bezzecchi is not sure he can fully exploit the medium compound, despite a better feeling. “At the start especially, the difference between the medium and the soft is significant. The tyre choice is not clear at the moment.”
The stability offered by the medium compound appeals to the Aprilia rider, but outright speed might be lacking. “Personally, I like the medium for stability reasons, but the speed might not be enough. So, we’ll see.” This is a crucial decision that could impact his performance on Sunday.
Key Takeaways from the Balaton Park Sprint:
- Marco Bezzecchi finished third in the sprint, a result he deemed fortunate given the difficulties encountered.
- The Aprilia RS-GP is struggling to find grip on a Balaton Park circuit with less grip than in 2023.
- Despite a slower pace than the leaders, Bezzecchi capitalised on his rivals’ errors.
- The bike’s lack of performance and challenging conditions make the tyre choice for the race uncertain.
- Bezzecchi’s main rivals, particularly Márquez and Acosta, are showing superior performance levels.
[je n’en ai pas vu]
[Bagnaia]
