Marco Bezzecchi and the other pupils of Valentino Rossi: “Do we fight? It’s normal.”

Friends and colleagues, but also rivals.

Marco Bezzecchi talks about relationships with other centaurs who have come out of the hothouse of talent represented by Valentino Rossi’s Tavullia Ranch. Not only that, the Ducati Mooney VR46 rider stresses how important the results already collected this season are and how protected he feels by the team.

“It’s quite normal for us to battle against each other when we’re at the Ranch,” Bezzecchi explained to the Swiss of ‘Speedweek.’ “I realize that on the outside it may seem like something unusual, but that’s how we’re used to it. We’ve been challenging each other practically since day one, and to be able to do it all together is really nice.”

Then there is a broader talk to be made about the 2023 MotoGP season, and here the aspect that least surprises Bezzecchi is the fact that Pecco Bagnaia is leading the standings. “I expected that position to be his,” he admitted, “Rather I am surprised to see where I am. I have won races, the one in Argentina in particular was incredible. It was a little different for Le Mans, where I knew I was fast. But in Termas de Rio Hondo it was an unexpected success, so I got more excited.”

There can be no shortage of praise for the Mooney VR46 team. “Behind me there is a great team, and there is the VR46 Academy. I then have my manager, they are all doing a great job. This way I can go out on the track without pressure and just focus on the results I can get,” Bezzecchi concluded.