VOLUME ISSUE JULY , P83
couldn't close the gap, settling
for second.
Acosta ran a strong race and
held off a charging Bagnaia for
his first Sunday podium of the
season, as the polesitter had
to settle for fourth, despite a
From there, the six-time Mo
-
toGP champion steadily pulled
away, clocking a string of low
1:54s before dipping into the
1:53s to build an unassailable
1.9-second lead by lap 15. Bez-
zecchi gamely gave chase but
is very difficult, but taking a look back, I can say
Marc texted me," said Martin when asked for the
best advice he received. "A lot of people texted me,
but Marc was one of them. And I appreciate his
message. But he told me, 'Don't take any decisions
[about your future] when you are injured. So now,
thinking back to there, I can say maybe this was
the best advice."
ZARCO CONTENT WITH LCR STAY
Now that Martin is confirmed to stay at Aprilia,
Johann Zarco has insisted he would be content
to stay in LCR Honda for 2026, as long as he
can be considered HRC's number-one MotoGP
rider. "Jorge Martin staying at Aprilia, it means
there are more question marks about where I can
go," he said. "The position of number-one rider,
I'd like to be it. But because things can move
in Honda, maybe I can still be the number-one
rider in LCR. But for the moment, this is standby.
Ideally it would be staying with LCR. What we're
building, it's pretty good. I need to keep my crew
chief. The relation is growing with Lucio [Cec-
chinello, LCR Honda team manager]. With the
experience I have, I can please the partners
more than other riders.
(Above) Marco Bezzecchi (72)
dives up the inside of the fading
Francesco Bagnaia (63) in the
Sunday GP. It was another Sunday
podium for the Aprilia man.
