Aprilia Leadership Backs Bezzecchi as Injury Sidelines Him at Sachsenring

Marco Bezzecchi’s factory Aprilia crew, including team manager Paolo Bonora and teammate Jorge Martin, have rallied around the Italian following a qualifying crash at the Sachsenring that forced his withdrawal from the German Grand Prix weekend.

The incident marks the latest setback in a turbulent stretch for Bezzecchi, who arrived at the circuit just four rounds removed from a dominant home victory at Mugello. Since that high point, a string of misfortunes—including a collision with Martin in Hungary, a race ban for contact with a marshal, and a crash at Assen—has erased his early championship advantage. He now trails Martin by 11 points with Sunday’s race still to run. Bezzecchi is scheduled for surgery in Italy on Sunday.

Mugello podium

Photo by: Mirco Lazzari GP / Getty Images

Speaking on the MotoGP world feed Saturday, Bonora expressed unwavering belief in his rider’s core ability. “I’m so convinced that Marco is the same Marco Bezzecchi [we saw at] Mugello. This is something that makes us very positive,” he said. “I’d like to say to him every time, ‘Remember that you are the same Marco Bezzecchi who won in such a great way at Mugello’.”

Bonora noted the timing of the summer break offers a crucial window for recovery. “We are lucky that we have one month of summer break,” he added. “This is something that is positive, to recover the energy, to recharge the batteries and to start in the correct way for the second part of the season. We [are sending] him a big hug for sure. He knows that the whole team is around him. We know his energy; we know our strength. So, it’s necessary to be very positive and take the opportunity of this summer break to recover the current mood for the second part of the season.”

Martin, whose own relationship with Bezzecchi has been strained since the Balaton Park clash, also offered support, drawing on his personal experience returning from a difficult 2025 injury layoff. “I want to send all my strength to Marco one more time because it’s not nice to see him in this difficult period,” Martin said after the sprint race. “But this is racing; he knows how to recover from injuries. Because for sure, if you take profit of bad times, as I said before, you can come back stronger with a better mentality. He’s a really strong rider and he will be in the fight.”

Source link