Marco Bezzecchi believes his struggles in MotoGP Sprint Races have been one of the biggest weaknesses in his 2026 championship campaign, admitting that small mistakes and missed opportunities have cost him valuable points against title rival Marc Marquez.
The Aprilia rider made an impressive start to the season, winning four of the opening seven grands prix after aiming to avoid the difficulties he experienced during the first half of 2025.
However, his title challenge lost momentum midway through the campaign, particularly between the Hungarian and German Grands Prix, where a series of incidents and injuries disrupted his progress.
Although Bezzecchi recovered to secure further podium finishes and victories in Indonesia and Qatar, he remains 74 points behind championship leader Marquez with only four races left.
The Italian has collected six Grand Prix victories this season but has yet to win a Sprint Race. In comparison, Marquez has claimed 10 Sprint victories and seven Sunday race wins, giving the Ducati rider a significant advantage in the overall standings.
Reflecting on his season, Bezzecchi admitted that his Sprint performances have not been consistent enough, although he remains satisfied with his overall progress.
"The sprints were a bit of my weak link, let's say. But it's all about experience. Everything helps you learn and improve, so I would definitely have signed for this season," he said.
Despite acknowledging the problem, Bezzecchi does not believe Sprint Races should be removed from the MotoGP calendar. Instead, he wants to improve his own performance and become more consistent on Saturdays.
He also pointed out that his Sprint record has not been entirely disappointing, having secured seven podium finishes in the shorter races. However, a number of small errors and unfortunate incidents have prevented him from converting those opportunities into victories.
"Some of the sprints have actually been good because I've had seven podiums. The problem is that I've made a lot of small mistakes," he explained.
"Leaving aside yesterday's Qatar Sprint, which was also a bit of an unlucky episode, there have been a lot of small mistakes and a little bad luck. I need to try to iron out these details."
Bezzecchi's comments came after a mixed weekend in Qatar. He crashed during Saturday's Sprint following contact with Marquez but bounced back impressively on Sunday, leading every lap to secure his sixth Grand Prix victory of the season.
The result offered some encouragement for the closing rounds, even though his championship hopes remain slim. He will need to win the remaining four races while relying on Marquez to score no further points to have a mathematical chance of taking the title.
For now, Bezzecchi is focused on building on his Qatar victory and addressing the mistakes that have affected his Saturday performances.
With the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimão approaching on November 20-22, the Aprilia rider will have another opportunity to demonstrate that he can turn his Sprint Race weakness into a strength before the season concludes.
