Valentino Rossi Speaks on Bezzecchi’s Struggles: Navigating the Psychological and Technical Challenges of MotoGP

Valentino Rossi: Marco Bezzecchi "facing tough mental challenges"

"The 2023 version of the Ducati is somewhat tricky, showing more temperament."

Marco Bezzecchi's choice to remain with the VR46 Ducati squad in the MotoGP series last year hasn't yielded the expected outcomes.

In 2023, Bezzecchi achieved three Grand Prix victories riding the VR46 team's Desmosedici GP22 bike. Believing that using Ducati's previous year's model would still bring competitive outcomes in 2024, he aimed to perform well enough to potentially join Francesco Bagnaia in the official Ducati team by 2025. Consequently, he opted for the VR46 team's GP23 bike for the 2024 season instead of moving to the Pramac team for a factory-spec GP24 motorcycle.

In the 2024 season, through the first 11 Grand Prix, Bezzecchi has secured just a single podium finish while riding the GP23. This shortfall in performance is attributed to his struggle in adjusting to the 2023 Desmosedici.

Bezzecchi has secured a position with Aprilia's factory team for 2025, where he will be joining Jorge Martin, instead of being part of Ducati.

VR46 team proprietor and Bezzecchi's guide, Valentino Rossi, has stated that the problems Bezzecchi is encountering with the GP23 extend from technical difficulties to psychological challenges.

"Rossi conveyed to Sky Italia that he's facing a tough mental challenge,” Rossi explained to Sky Italia. “In the previous season, the older model [Desmosedici GP22] might have outperformed the latest version [GP23] until a specific time during the season. Hence, if conditions were ideal over a weekend, victory was achievable.

"This season, Bezzecchi chose to remain on our team despite us having the previous model of the bike [GP23]."

The 2023 version of the Ducati has proven to be somewhat complex and temperamental. The rider faced significant challenges during the sprint race, battling hard to secure the eighth position, which was no easy feat.

"However, our goal is to remain supportive and continuously encourage him to achieve a positive outcome before the conclusion."

Bezzecchi's transition to Aprilia naturally vacated his position at VR46 for the 2025 season. The spot will be taken by Franco Morbidelli, an initial member of the VR46 Academy, who has signed a one-year contract.

Rossi expressed immense joy in welcoming Morbidelli to our team, highlighting that Franco is the first Academy rider to join since Sic [Marco Simoncelli].

"I'm thrilled to have him join our races and he's equally enthusiastic. Additionally, I'm extremely satisfied with our roster for the upcoming year.

"Among the Italian competitors, Di Giannantonio stands out and has earned high regard from Ducati. Conversely, Franco, who is also part of the Academy, is another rider from Italy in the mix."

Morbidelli's short-term deal with VR46, lasting just a year, is likely to pave the way for Fermin Aldeguer, who is under a factory contract, to make a move in 2026. This comes as VR46 is set to become Ducati’s designated satellite team starting from the next season.

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