At a circuit steeped in history, the return of MotoGP to the Autódromo Internacional de Goiânia – Ayrton Senna has already delivered early drama — and for Marco Bezzecchi, it’s a Friday to forget.
The Aprilia Racing rider, fresh off his triumph at the Thailand Grand Prix, endured a frustrating Practice session at the Brazilian Grand Prix, finishing down in 20th and missing out on a direct place in Q2.
Coming into the weekend, Bezzecchi was widely tipped as a strong contender. The flowing nature of the Goiânia circuit, combined with Michelin tyre characteristics, appeared perfectly suited to the RS-GP package.
However, unpredictable weather conditions quickly turned expectations upside down.
A damp FP1 hinted at promise, but the crucial afternoon session — where grid-defining laps are set — unraveled. Despite the track being dry enough for slick tyres, intermittent rain created inconsistent grip levels, catching many riders off guard.
For Bezzecchi, the issue ran deeper. “Something wasn’t right with the bike,” he admitted post-session.
“We still don’t know what it is. The engineers are looking into it.”
The key moment came early in Practice — when track conditions were at their most favorable. While rivals maximized the window, Bezzecchi failed to extract performance from his machine.
As rain intensified midway through the session, lap times became increasingly difficult to improve, effectively locking the Italian out of contention.
Finishing nearly two seconds off the pace, he now faces the high-pressure route through Q1 — traditionally one of the most competitive sessions on the MotoGPcalendar
While Bezzecchi struggled, there were positives elsewhere in the Aprilia camp.
Jorge Martín continued his strong adaptation to the RS-GP, finishing fourth and reinforcing his growing confidence. Meanwhile, Ai Ogura secured a valuable top-10 for Trackhouse Racing.
However, the struggles weren’t isolated. Raul Fernandez also missed the Q2 cut, ending the session in 21st — highlighting broader inconsistencies within the Aprilia setup under mixed conditions.
Despite the setback, Bezzecchi remains focused on damage limitation.
“I tried to take risks because I was near the back,” he said. “Now the goal is simply to improve — but Q1 is always very competitive.”
With the Brazilian Grand Prix marking MotoGP’s long-awaited return to Goiânia for the first time since 1989, the stage is set for unpredictability — and redemption stories.
For Bezzecchi, Saturday’s qualifying will be crucial. One strong session could still reignite his weekend..
Credit Photo : MotoGP
