New MotoGP championship leader Marco Bezzecchi overcame a “really tough” Friday to secure a fourth win in a row.
On MotoGP’s return to Brazil after a 22-year absence, the weekend provided heavy rain and difficult track conditions.
The Aprilia rider finished third-last in Friday’s second practice session, meaning he had to go through Q1 in qualifying, but still managed to secure a place on the front row.
Bezzecchi explained that he and the team studied the bike further to try to extract more from the RS-GP, before finding more competitiveness after analysing how he could improve during Saturday’s Sprint race.
After Marc Marquez, Fabio Di Giannantonio and current team-mate Jorge Martin claimed the top three in the Sprint, he expected them to be competitive in the main race – but the Rimini rider instead rode off into the distance to win in dominant fashion.
“Friday was really tough. On Friday, I didn’t expect to leave Goiania with a win. I wasn’t feeling well and pushed the bike too hard to get closer,” transcribed Speedweek.
“After qualifying, I sat down with my crew and we discussed what we needed to work on. We looked at every detail and studied the lines. I simply wanted to be better.
“I started much better on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough in the sprint to fight for the podium. Behind ‘Diggia’, Marc, and to some extent Jorge, I tried to learn and copy them a bit.
“I wanted to modify my riding style slightly, and this [Sunday] morning I already felt better.
“I expected ‘Diggia,’ Jorge, and Marc to be faster than me. That’s why I tried to get a good start and stay at the front, because overtaking isn’t so easy on this track. I still expected them to overtake me and for us to have some tough battles.”
The 27-year-old heads to Texas with an 11-point advantage over team-mate Martin in the standings, with Aprilia maintaining its dominance after ending last season with back-to-back victories.
To highlight its success, Bezzecchi became the fifth rider to have won four consecutive races in the premier class after Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez, Jorge Lorenzo and Francesco Bagnaia.
“The guys are working incredibly hard,” said Bezzecchi in admiration of his team.
“Their dedication is truly impressive. I want to thank them, the engineers in Noale, but also the engineers at the track.
“They are giving their all. I can’t help but give my all as well.”
READ MORE – Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin dominate as Aprilia secures MotoGP 1-2 in Brazil
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