Marco Bezzecchi was left utterly “speechless” as chaos erupted on the grid at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) MotoGP, with multiple riders rushing back to the pits to swap bikes just minutes before the race start. The unexpected scramble was triggered by Marc Marquez, who determined the track had dried too much for wet tires, prompting several others to follow suit.
Starting from 13th on the grid, Bezzecchi opted to stay put, uncertain about the consequences of leaving. “It was strange! Honestly, I didn’t know what to do because I was on the grid, and suddenly I saw many riders running away, along with their bikes. I was just speechless!” Bezzecchi admitted.
The Italian hesitated, fearing that turning off his bike or leaving the grid might result in a penalty. “I was scared that if I switched off the bike or went away, I might get penalized, so I just waited,” he explained. “I stayed until I saw Race Direction officials confirming that we could leave the grid. After that, I felt quite calm and relaxed. I switched off my bike and returned to the pit box.”
The chaotic scenes saw riders, team members, and grid guests rushing frantically back to the pits, ultimately forcing Race Direction to delay the start for safety reasons. It was later revealed that several riders, including Marquez, had misunderstood the penalty they would have received for leaving the grid—had the start proceeded as originally planned.
Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola has since called for a revision of the regulations to prevent similar confusion in the future. “As for what happened at the start, the regulations undoubtedly need to be revised to avoid such confusion at the beginning of a race. It was not a good spectacle, and it left fans puzzled,” Rivola stated.
Despite losing a place at the restart and dropping to 14th, Bezzecchi turned his weekend around with a strong ride, charging up the field to finish in sixth place. “I’m quite satisfied with this race,” he said. “It was a very challenging weekend, and my starting position affected my chances. But the second half of the race was really positive.
“I started feeling better physically and had a much better connection with the bike. I was overtaking well, braking precisely, and my pace improved consistently, allowing me to gain multiple positions. When I saw my lap times improving significantly, I really started enjoying myself. It’s a shame they shortened the race by one lap—I could have fought for fifth place.”
Rivola praised Bezzecchi’s fighting spirit, highlighting his ability to overcome setbacks and perform under pressure. “It was a tough weekend for Marco, partly due to some mistakes on our part, but his speed in the race was incredible. He has once again proven to be a true fighter, capable of bouncing back decisively.
“In three races so far, Marco has consistently demonstrated his remarkable speed, even though we have yet to fully capitalize on our potential. But this is part of the process, and we will keep improving.”
The race was also a significant milestone for Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori, who earned his first MotoGP point since Assen 2023 by finishing in 15th place. It could potentially be his last stand-in appearance, as Jorge Martin continues his recovery from injury.
“I’m happy with how the race went because we made a big step forward,” Savadori shared. “It was a difficult weekend with ever-changing conditions, but we had solid race pace, and more importantly, the data we gathered gave us a clear direction for future improvements.
“There are still things we need to confirm in upcoming private tests in Misano, but overall, it was a good race. We battled hard and worked on improving both speed and performance. It was great to see the Aprilia bikes getting closer to the top positions.”
Rivola is hopeful that reigning world champion Jorge Martin—who attended COTA as a spectator—will be fit enough to make his highly anticipated Aprilia debut in Qatar. “It was fantastic to have Jorge with us in the garage. His presence was a big source of motivation for the team. Hopefully, he’ll be ready for Qatar, and we’ll finally see him racing on the Aprilia.”
The COTA race also marked a key anniversary for Aprilia, as it was exactly one year since their last Grand Prix victory—and Ducati’s most recent loss—when Maverick Viñales triumphed at the circuit.
