Marco Bezzecchi says he knew his pass on Jack Miller for third in the Portuguese Grand Prix was a case of “now or never” due to his front tyre increasing.
The VR46 rider was a part of the ultra-close battle for third in the opening laps at the Algarve International Circuit, though a bold pass on KTM rider Miller at Turn 6 allowed him to snatch away the spot and rapidly pull away.
Despite having designs on challenging Maverick Vinales for the runners-up spot, high tyre degradation ultimately forced Bezzecchi to settle for third and his second career premier class rostrum result.
The Italian conceded past race that he “didn’t expect to be so fast” considering his run to eighth on the grid in qualifying, and that he knew he had to “risk” a swift pass on Miller due to his front tyre pressure increasing ever more – which would have made a pass in later laps even more treacherous.
“It was a very good race, I honestly didn’t expect to be so fast but as soon as I passed Jack (Miller) I could pull away, I had to risk a bit to pass him but my front tyre pressure was rising so I knew it was either now or never,” explained Bezzecchi.
“I tried and fortunately it was good, and as soon as I had fresh air I could improve my lap times by quite a lot, I was in the 1:38s and was quite surprised when I saw my laptime on the straight.
“This gave me the possibility to escape from the riders behind, so I saw Maverick (Vinales) and though I’d really try to catch him but he was a little faster in the end.
“When I saw the gap with Alex Marquez was zero I knew that I had to push and I did seven or eight laps really pushing, I was doing 38’s and closing the gap, so then I tried my best to manage the rear tyre but Maverick in this area was maybe a little stronger.”
Bezzecchi added that he feels much stronger on the 2022-specification Ducati versus the ’21 version of the machine he had at his disposal in his rookie year last season, explaining that while the technical side of the bike isn’t radically different, the changes that have been made allow him to use his natural riding style to a greater extent.
“I hope of course (to get more podiums in 2023), the bike for sure is a big step compared to last year,” continued Bezzecchi.
“The difference is nothing crazy but it has helped with my riding style, as soon as I tried it I felt this.
“The target is to be consistent as we can’t always fight for the podium because I still need to improve my riding in many areas, and there are some tracks where I’m closer but others where I’m further away, so I’ll try and make progress with those.”
Keyword: Bezzecchi: ‘I knew it was now or never’ for podium pass