Antonelli's Mercedes contract blocks two-wheel plan with Valentino Rossi

The pair of Italians are competing for the title in the top tiers of two-wheeled and four-wheeled racing and could well make history this season.

Antonelli is currently in a prime position to do so with Mercedes, and Bezzecchi was on the scene to witness him win his home Italian Grand Prix and extend his title lead to 66 points.

A clip of the pair also quickly went viral, with Antonelli showing off a helmet in tribute to Italian MotoGP legend and Bezzecchi's mentor Valentino Rossi.

Explaining how good friends they now are, Bezzecchi told Gazzetta dello Sport: "Kimi and I are so close now that, a few days ago, I went to a friend's house and found him there as if nothing had happened.

Antonelli turned 20 on August 25, and Bezzecchi was there to celebrate with him. It wasn’t a usual birthday, though - they went to a water park near their home town.

"We had so much fun at AquaFan,” the 27-year-old said. “With my injuries, I couldn't ride all the slides, but it was still a great day. It was a way for everyone to unwind before getting back to racing.”

Next up would surely be a stop and idol Rossi’s famous motocross ranch, but Bezzecchi has explained why Antonelli hasn’t yet made the trip.

Bezzecchi is currently third in the MotoGP riders’ championship, but if he and Antonelli can top the standings when the season ends, it would be the first double across the two series for the same country since Kenny Roberts and Mario Andretti did it for the United States in 1978.

But it’s not just Antonelli’s nationality that’s won him support, with Bezzecchi explaining: "I'm rooting for him because he's Italian, but above all because he's my friend. At VR46, we're all rooting for him because he's achieving something incredible this year.