MotoGP, the two sides of Mooney VR46: Bezzecchi shines, Marini stalls

Fielding two riders brings advantages for a team, but there are negative aspects too. Like when one side of the garage is in seventh heaven while the other licks its wounds. Which is essentially how team Mooney VR46 was feeling on Sunday as, while one side celebrated Marco Bezzecchi’s second MotoGP podium, the other was coming to terms with Luca Marini’s second DNF in two races, at the end of a Portuguese round that was anything but satisfying.

Bezzecchi shone, and that’s no small feat. There is no shortage of high-level riders in the Ducati camp – and on the grid in general – but the Italian was immediately able to show that he has taken a significant step forward with respect to last year, in several respects.

Bezzecchi uber alles

Firstly, Marco proved to be able to react in the face of adversity. Despite crashing in the Sprint and the resulting tension, the Italian did well to be able to refocus for Sunday’s race, which in fact turned out to be a triumph. Another of Bezzecchi’s strengths came into play here, or rather his race strategy.

During the first laps of the race, Marco quickly realised that it was important to head up the group fighting for the podium, to “prevent the tyres from overheating and in order to set the pace”, as Bez put it. And that’s what he did, before going on to build a gap between himself and the riders in pursuit, which allowed him to manage the final stages with no drama. A strategy similar to that adopted at Assen, when he scored his first MotoGP podium.

Marini: eager for a comeback

But while Bezzecchi passed with flying colours, it was a fail for Marini, who was also unlucky. After a strong winter and, particularly, an excellent test at Portimao, expectations were high going into the Portuguese weekend, but things took a turn for Luca when he crashed on lap two of the Sprint, putting an end to his own race but also that of Enea Bastianini.

The incident was not without controversy, with calls for Marini to be penalised. The circumstances made it difficult for the Italian to prepare effectively for the long race. A race that also came to a premature end, when he lost the front. “A difficult weekend” said Luca, who shouldn’t lose faith – the season is long and his speed is not up for debate.