After almost a whole month of stop, MotoGP will roar back to life this weekend at Silverstone, for the British GP. But where were we before the summer break?
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Marquez’s ‘remuntada’
The rider who arrives with the most hype at the moment of the track battles resuming is undoubtedly Marc Marquez: after struggling in the first races, undergoing double surgery on his right shoulder and foot following the crash in the Le Mans Sprint and missing the Barcelona weekend, the Ducati champion seemed completely out of the title race. After the Mugello weekend Marquez was eighth in the World Championship and his gap from first place was 102 points. Since then there have been three wins in four GPs and two wins in four Sprints, which combined with a collective harakiri by the Aprilia factory and especially Marco Bezzecchi have placed #93 just 18 points from the top of the World Championship, in third place. The dream of the tenth title has become real again and many consider the Cervara phenomenon the favorite for the final success. It is hard to blame them, considering that Marquez was also able to recover some physical and mental energy during the summer after the enormous stress caused by his precarious conditions. Yet even for a champion like him the road to Valencia is not all downhill: Ducati, although improved in recent races, still seems a step behind overall compared to Aprilia, as acknowledged by Davide Tardozzi; moreover, the Noale bikes are all very competitive on every track, while Marquez’s brand teammates sometimes falter. While it is true that this can be a benefit when Aprilias take points off each other, the opposite reading is also valid: with so many competitive Aprilias, the risk for Marquez is having too many rivals to ‘mark’.
Bezzecchi’s crisis
Diametrically opposite to Marquez’s situation is that of Marco Bezzecchi: the Italian dominated the first part of the World Championship, with three wins in the first three GPs and four in the first seven. Then, after the memorable triumph at Mugello, the collapse came: four consecutive zeros on Sundays, the Brno disqualification for a physical altercation with a marshal, the Assen crash – which is what angered Aprilia the most – and the Sachsenring injury. The trend is obviously very negative, but the break allowed Bezzecchi to reset – at least partially – and to try to recover from the accident suffered in Germany. At Silverstone the rider from Rimini will not be at 100% condition, but more than the physical aspect, the mental one will be crucial: Bez’s vertical collapse depended on his mind and that is where the turning point must come. The performances of the Trackhouse riders confirm that the RS-GP26 remains a bike capable of being competitive on every track and Bezzecchi has already shown to himself and others that he is perfectly able to push it to the limit. It will be up to him to make the last mental sprint and withstand all the pressures that come with being a title contender. Finally, a step must come in the Sprint races: too many points have already been lost on Saturdays this season and Bagnaia’s 2024 precedent is there to show how those errors can prove decisive at the end of the year.
Martin hanging by a thread
Imagining at the end of the 2025 season a Jorge Martin leading the World Championship at the summer break was an impossible exercise, but the Spaniard managed the feat. His season closely resembles the triumphant 2024 World Championship: few highlights but a lot of consistency in performance, as well as the ability to mentally manage the not easy situation of ‘rider with a suitcase’. However, the last races have sounded some alarm bells: apart from the absurd strike at Balaton, it is since the six crashes in four days at Barcelona that #89 seems to have lost the right feeling with the RS-GP26. In Czechia, the Netherlands and Germany Martin played defense, limiting the damage, but this strategy can no longer suffice and he is the first to know it. His situation seems opposite to Bezzecchi’s: while the Italian must regain confidence in himself, the Spaniard must become one again with the bike he rides. The Le Mans weekend is there to prove that if Martin returns to being Martinator on the Noale rocket, for all rivals – including Marquez – staying ahead of him will be very difficult.
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The revenge of the Independents
On the sidelines of this challenge, but not too far, are the three ‘spoilers’ independents: Ai Ogura, shockingly second in the World Championship and who finally seems to have fixed the Achilles heel of qualifying; Raul Fernandez, less consistent than the Japanese with whom he shares the Trackhouse box but still capable of some incredible speed peaks; Fabio Di Giannantonio, heroic in his victory at Barcelona and who is having by far the best season of his career, but to really dream big he needs to make another step forward in the long Sunday races. The advantage of these three is that they have nothing to lose, no pressure on them and the license to dream in a balanced and uncertain championship like we haven’t seen since 2020. The disadvantage is always the same: racing in an Independent team is not the same as having the official support of a Factory. Although Jorge Martin might have something to say about that…
The Silverstone unknown
The resumption of hostilities at Silverstone could further upset the balances that accompanied us on vacation: the English track historically has never been a friend of Marc Marquez – only one win on British soil in MotoGP, dating back to 2014 – and in recent years not even of Ducati. The Borgo Panigale bikes have in fact won only three of the last 10 races held in England, while Aprilia has won two of the last three editions. A year ago the winner was precisely Bezzecchi, who from that result onwards definitely turned his season around. Asking him to do the same this year, considering he will not be at his best on track, is not simple. There is no doubt, however, that both he and Aprilia will have to try to take advantage of a weekend that on paper will be favorable to the RS-GP26. Immediately reversing the pro Marquez-Ducati trend seen on track in recent months would be fundamental to try to shake the comeback ambitions nurtured between Borgo Panigale and Cervera. Now, finally, the track will speak again.
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