Marco Bezzecchi admitted he’s “suffering more than expected” following his clash with Marc Marquez, as the pain in his back continues to linger ahead of the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island.
The factory Aprilia rider is serving a double long-lap penalty this weekend, handed to him after causing a collision with the world champion at the Indonesian Grand Prix. Although Bezzecchi escaped serious injury, the aftereffects of the crash are still troubling him — especially when braking or picking up the bike through the left-hand corners of the track.
“I have to say, I expected to feel a bit better, especially in the afternoon,” Bezzecchi explained after topping Friday’s practice with a new lap record. “I felt some pain — this track has many left corners, and in those areas I suffer the most. Also, when braking and lifting my body, I feel discomfort. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.”
Despite the pain, Bezzecchi showed impressive speed on Friday, demonstrating both strong one-lap pace and consistency over long runs. However, he remains cautious about race expectations, having tested the long-lap loop and losing around 2.6 seconds each time.
“I don’t want to think too far ahead. Let’s focus on tomorrow first,” he said. “Qualifying is key — we need to aim for the first two rows. Many riders are fast on the soft rear, so we’ll keep improving.”
On his record-breaking lap, Bezzecchi added, “It was good. On my dash, it looked a bit slower, but I was happy. The main thing is that I felt good with the bike and enjoyed riding. It’s been a positive day overall.”
