The Italian won his first-ever premier class race at the Argentina MotoGP, also handing his Mooney VR46 team  their mai𝕴den victory.

He sits nine points clear of reigning champion, factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia, at the summit of the standings aftꦺer the first two race weekends of 2023.

• Bezzecchi: W🐭ithout Vale it was ‘impossible’, now ‘at one’♐ with Ducati

Sylvain Guintoli said on BT Sport: “Where he made the difference was at tꦐhe start of the race. He was able to put down his 🗹lap times and nobody could live with him. 

“H💞e was great at the start. He got down to business so fast, there was no way for anybody to keep up with him. That gave him the ability to control t🌳he race later on.

“The big thin🉐g in the wet is to activate your style very fast.  That makes all the difference. You have to tꦅake risks but it’s easy to go from hero to zero, especially in the first laps.

“Since he arrived at the first test he has performed in every condition. Strong in theꩲ dry, in the wet, fast in the sprint. 

“He looks really complete, and he’s got a real🐼ly 𒅌good bike.”

• Bezzecchi, Zarco, Marq🎐uez private chat revealed as they watch crash replays

Asked if Bezzecchi could maintain🐼 his electric start and fight for the 🎉championship, Guintoli replied: “100%. There are a lot of markers there. The work he puts in, the way he conducts himself. That first win could [open the floodgates].”

Michael Laverty added about Bezzecchi: “It was such a controlled effort. The level everyon🎀e is at, you just don’t see a 6s or 7s gap. 

“He just missed the win on Saturday, he won Sunday, podium in Poꦯrtimao - he’s a championship contender🦄, you’ve got to say.

“He has just clicked. Over the winter he had a [bike that was] one step down from everybody’s last year. Ducati have now given everyone the same꧃ tools, pretty much. They’ve given him a proper race bike.🍸”