Alex Marquez has fulfilled his lifelong dream and won a MotoGP race – Marc’s younger brother triumphed in front of his home crowd in Jerez
93 starts since the 2020 season, eight podiums and finally his first victory: Alex Marquez has entered the championship history books at the MotoGP Grand Prix in Jerez. The 29-year-old overtook Fabio Quartararo, benefited from a crash by his older brother Marc Marquez, and ultimately held off Francesco Bagnaia to win his first Sunday race in front of his Spanish home crowd.
On the lap of honor, he was presented with a large Spanish flag by the marshals, which he proudly waved as he rode around the track. When the realization of his achievement really sank in, he dropped his visor—presumably because he was overcome with emotion after achieving his lifelong dream. Was Alex Marquez hiding a tear under his helmet? The Gresini Ducati rider certainly had every reason to be happy.
While Marc Marquez was “proud” of his brother and “happy” about his rival’s victory, Alex had to search for words: “Now I’m slowly beginning to understand what happened today. In the parc ferme and on the podium, it was a rollercoaster of emotions. I’m very happy and very emotional. If you had asked me where I wanted to win my first race, I would definitely have said Jerez.”
An almost perfect race
On the last lap, still under race conditions, Marquez was already waving to the fans, who, as he says, were completely freaking out. “MotoGP is just a different level,” he emphasizes. “I think we rode a perfect race today. I made the move at the right time in the right place. After that, I just tried to control the race, and it worked. I’m also really happy for the team.”
There’s a new Mr P1 in town @alexmarquez73 SpanishGP pic. twitter.com/4TQIirWycE
— MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) April 27, 2025
The victory was hard work for Marquez, as he almost collided with his brother on the first lap and lost a few positions, but he quickly regained them. In the final laps, he was clearly in the lead, with the fans in the stands cheering him on. “I lost my concentration briefly with seven laps to go because I was thinking too much,” he admits. “That’s when I said to myself, ‘Now I have to find my rhythm again.’”
Brave enough to wave
After that, Marquez put his foot down again, and even the team asked him why he was trying to open up the gap even more. The Spaniard explained: “I just didn’t want to lose my focus.” On the last lap, he waved to the spectators, a move he copied from Jorge Lorenzo. “I wanted to do that in Moto2, I had enough of a lead at the time, but I didn’t have the courage. That’s why I did it today. I may never get another chance in my life.”
Alex Marquez not only won the Jerez Grand Prix, but also took the lead in the overall standings – just one point ahead of his brother Marc, who is struggling with his second crash on a race Sunday in the 2025 season. The next MotoGP race will take place on May 11, 2025, in Le Mans, France. The family feud will continue at the Bugatti Circuit, a track where the Marquez brothers have always excelled.
