Marco Bezzecchi explained his first lap was the “key moment” that helped continue his strong MotoGP form as he secured another podium finish for Aprilia at Brno.
On Lap 1, the Rimini-born rider crafted an audacious move at Turn 3 on Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo at the start of the race.
The overtake itself resulted in Bezzecchi challenging championship leader Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia, before the Italian took the lead from Lap 2 to Lap 8.
Although Marquez replied and went on to seal another victory, Bezzecchi crossed the line 1.7s behind the Spaniard and secured a third grand prix podium in Noale colours.
“It was a fun race,” Marco Bezzecchi told MotoGP.com’s After the Flag.
“A very good race. The start was good and, compared to yesterday, I studied a bit more the strategy for where to place myself in the first couple of corners.
“I was able to make a fantastic overtake on Fabio [Quartararo] on the outside of turn three – it was really crazy.
“All the risks that I could take during the race, I sum everything and I put it in one corner that was that turn three.
“It was the key moment because, after, I was able to go in the front and, for the front tyre especially, it was crucial because this track was really demanding on the front.”
While he was in front of Marquez for six laps, Bezzecchi anticipated that the factory Ducati rider was preserving tyre wear before making the race winning move.
“I knew Marc [Marquez] was managing, to be honest – I was managing, also, because I didn’t want to push to try to escape knowing that he had something in his pocket.
“So, I tried to just make my pace, warm everything, be ready, and when he overtook me I wanted to fight, but he was something faster than me compared to Assen, that was the last time that I was close.
“This time I was a bit more far, let’s say. The pace was fantastic, I made my best lap in the last one, so very happy to make a weekend like this.”
The 26-year-old has now leapfrogged the VR46 Ducati duo of Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Di Giannantonio, heading into the summer break in fourth place in the championship.
