News Summary
- Marco Bezzecchi crashed out of the lead at Turn 13 on the opening lap at Misano.
- The Aprilia rider denied that pressure from starting on pole at his home race contributed to the mistake.
- Bezzecchi remains third in the MotoGP standings, 33 points behind Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín.
Marco Bezzecchi dismissed suggestions that pressure contributed to his early retirement from the San Marino GP after crashing out of the lead on the opening lap at Misano.
The Aprilia rider had broken the Misano lap record to beat Marc Márquez to pole and held first place through the opening corners on Sunday. His race ended at Turn 13, however, when he lost the front of the RS-GP and crashed.
“Unfortunately, everything was going well, but I did a mistake in Turn 13 and I lost the front,” Bezzecchi said after the race.
Asked whether the pressure of trying to win in front of his home crowd had contributed to the error, the Italian rejected the suggestion.
“No. When you start first you want to win. It doesn’t matter if it’s Misano,” he said.
Bezzecchi explained that the full fuel load and a moment through Misano’s fast section compromised his approach to Turn 13.
“For sure, when you have a full fuel tank, you have to manage the braking point a little bit better,” he said. “I had a bit of a shake in the fast part, so when I braked I didn’t close the line perfectly and unfortunately I lost the front.”
The retirement proved particularly costly in the championship. Márquez went on to win the San Marino GP and take the MotoGP points lead, while Jorge Martín finished fifth.
Bezzecchi remains third on 241 points, 33 behind Márquez and Martín, who are tied on 274. Márquez leads on countback thanks to his five Grand Prix victories compared with Martín’s one.
“It’s tough, but at the end we can’t go back in time,” Bezzecchi said. “So, we will work hard.”
The quick turnaround to the Austrian GP gives the Aprilia rider an immediate opportunity to recover.
“Fortunately, we have Austria very soon, so we will go home, we will try to reset, we will work in the gym and then we’ll move to Spielberg.”
Bezzecchi also indicated that he had not aggravated the injuries that had already been affecting him before Misano, although he wanted to wait for the adrenaline to subside before making a definitive assessment.
“Looks like it’s OK, but the adrenaline is still going,” he said. “So, tonight I will understand better, maybe tomorrow morning. But it was not a big crash.”
MotoGP returns from September 18-20 for the Austrian GP, round 15 of the 2026 season.
FAQ
Why did Marco Bezzecchi crash at Misano?
Bezzecchi said he had a shake through the fast section before Turn 13, which compromised his line under braking. He then lost the front of the Aprilia and crashed.
Did Bezzecchi blame pressure for his San Marino GP crash?
No. Bezzecchi rejected that explanation, saying the desire to win is the same regardless of whether he is racing at home in Misano.
How far is Bezzecchi behind in the MotoGP championship?
Bezzecchi is third with 241 points, 33 behind Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín, who are tied on 274.
