Aprilia factory rider Marco Bezzecchi has revealed that his mentor and former boss Valentino Rossi gives him advice informed by data to which the highly connected MotoGP legend has privileged access.
Speaking with Autosport over the most recent Spanish Grand Prix weekend, where Rossi was present, Bezzecchi was asked whether his support remained as strong after his move from Rossi’s VR46 Ducati team to Aprilia for 2025.
“Yes, of course I spoke with Valentino during the [weekend],” said Bezzecchi, who remains one of four MotoGP riders associated with Rossi’s VR46 Riders Academy.
However, he was more guarded when asked whether Rossi had access to Bezzecchi’s data in order to help him analyse his riding.
“I can’t tell you everything Valentino does or what he has access to, but he’s given me very good advice,” replied Bezzecchi.
Aprilia, for its part, has stated that nobody outside the team has access to rider data.
Since retiring at the end of 2021 and taking on the role of team boss at VR46, Rossi’s appearances in the paddock have become less frequent than his fans would have hoped for. Nevertheless, he still draws crowds wherever he goes, especially at MotoGP events.
Since stepping away from two-wheeled competition, the seven-time world champion has continued to race cars while remaining actively involved at the VR46 Ranch in Tavullia, where his academy is based. There, he trains regularly on dirt bikes alongside the four academy riders racing in MotoGP, to whom he still offers advice that is valuable both on and off the track.
While three of the four academy riders have at some point raced for the VR46 MotoGP team, they are now spread across various squads and manufacturers. Franco Morbidelli joined VR46 this year, while Francesco Bagnaia rides for the factory Ducati team. Former VR46 man Luca Marini is in his second year at the factory Honda squad. Bezzecchi, the youngest and most recent addition to the academy, left VR46 for Aprilia after the 2024 season.
Despite this dispersion of talent across the paddock, Rossi continues to closely monitor his protégés and share advice whenever possible.
However, he has never been seen in the Honda garage or hospitality area – nor, so far this season, in those of Aprilia or Ducati – preferring to stay in the background, focused on his own team’s operations.
As a rider with immense experience and knowledge, Rossi has a keen ability to analyse data. Ducati’s open-data policy means its telemetry is accessible to all its teams and riders, including the current VR46 duo of Morbidelli and Fabio di Giannantonio. Whether Rossi has similar access to data for Honda or Aprilia remains uncertain.
What is clear is that whenever Rossi is at a race – he was also present for the Qatar GP last month – his riders are quick to highlight the value of his insights.
