Let's Talk MotoGP: Alex Marquez Just Proved He Deserves a Factory Bike

It was a resounding victory. In Catalonia, Alex Marquez left nothing to his rivals, and it was the first time this season that a single man was better than Marc Marquez from Friday to Sunday. The Gresini Racing rider did more than win: he sent a strong signal to Ducati for future seasons.

 

Alex Marquez alone in the world

 

Let's first look back at his event, which he mastered with a masterful hand. Arriving at one of his favorite tracks – where he had already won several times in the lower categories – Alex knew he could achieve the feat, but his recent performances to date did not guarantee anything. Indeed, since the German GP, ​​it has been much more difficult for little brother Marquez, who has certainly had good results, but also big moments of weaknessIt was during this period, following his injury at Assen, that he really drew a line under the World Championship, even though I am convinced that he never believed it.

 

 

Where he sometimes said he would secure second place in the general classification, this weekend I saw an uninhibited Alex Marquez, capable of letting go, but also of fighting. This pressure of the championship position, reduced thanks to the disastrous results of Pecco Bagnaia, could have given him a big boost. When we add this determining factor to the Montmelo circuit, inevitably, it could hit the mark.

And from the moment he arrived in Catalonia, he left nothing to chance. He worked very well on the pace on Friday afternoon, so much so that his brother already saw him as the favorite at that point. Then, in qualifying, he took his first pole position of the season, followed by a perfectly negotiated start in the Sprint. Alex would go on to win the short format, but a fall alone in the lead deprived him of this reward.

How to analyze this error? It is both serious and benign.. On the one hand, this is one of Alex Marquez's main faults, who can sometimes make a pretty huge blunder on his own, whether by taking someone else out or by crashing from the lead – which was his great specialty in Moto2. On the other hand, it has happened to excellent riders before him, and, as far as anyone can remember, he had never done anything like this in MotoGP while he is in his sixth season at the highest level. And then, he was the strongest, that's what matters.. Besides, I really appreciated the way he handled this missed opportunity: Alex admitted his mistake, publicly, then used it to motivate himself for the next day, without losing confidence, a parameter that he had been looking for in recent weeks depending on the tracks. The Gresini driver reacted like a great champion.

 

 

Then, on Sunday, drawing on this painful experience of the day before, Alex rolled out his plan. The others weren't in the same league, and it was the first time this season that I felt like I saw Marc Marquez without any solution against the driver in front of him. At Le Mans as at Silverstone, his last three defeats, he seemed to be managing to play for points, because he was struggling a bit, but this time, especially during the first third of the race, the eight-time world champion tried to overtake, to get closer, especially at turn 1. He came up against too strong an opponent.

Alex Marquez overcame the very tricky conditions and won a race of attrition with unparalleled fluidity, visible to the naked eye. Well done, there's nothing else to say.

 

He needs a factory bike

 

Now back to the title of the article. Yes, I think Ducati should trust Alex Marquez by providing him with a current-year bike. Be careful, I didn't say he should be promoted to official rank, but that next year he will be considered the first privateer option by the Borgo Panigale firm. Right now, that man is none other than Fabio Di Giannantonio. Even though the Italian has been particularly unlucky lately, his season is light years ahead of that of Alex Marquez, the only Ducati outsider this year.

 

 

Ducati's strategy for next year is still quite unclear. Some time ago, we mentioned the possibility of lining up six identical motorcycles, as the GP26 shouldn't differ much from the GP25 due to the focus on the 2027 model. In any case, the engine will be the same – the specification was already very similar to the 2024 one according to Gigi Dall'Igna. However, it is better to wait for an official announcement to see more clearly.

If Ducati ever decided to reshuffle the cards, I don't see why. Alex Marquez would not be rewarded for his excellent performance ; it would also cement Gresini Racing's place on the grid, arguably the best team in the world since 2022 if we relate results to means. After all, Enea Bastianini had been promoted to the factory team at the end of the 2022 season, and, even if the physiognomy of his achievement was different, I don't know if it was a better season than Alex Marquez's 2025 campaign. – the debate is interesting.

For the moment, there is no question of him moving up to the Reds, because Bagnaia, initially under contract, remains an important driver for the Italians, and could very well return to a better level soon. But why not make Alex Marquez a hybrid driver like Jorge Martin was in 2024? The idea seems perfectly valid to me and I don't see what Ducati would lose from it.

Do you share my analysis regarding Alex Marquez and his future? Tell me in the comments!

As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.

 

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport