VR46 rider Bezzecchi was an outside contender for the title during his breakthrough 2023 campaign, where he eventually finished third in the standings to champion Francesco Bagnaia and second-placed Jorge Martin after scoring victories in Argentina, France and India.
But the Italian’s results have nosedived since he switched to last year’s GP23 bike, with the opening six rounds of the season yielding only a single podium finish, a third-place finish at Jerez.
