Alex Marquez does not see his season with the Ducati GP26 as a test for the factory team, but has nevertheless set himself a high goal after finishing runner-up in the championship
Alex Marquez is optimistic about the future after a strong season in MotoGP. The Spaniard will ride the current Ducati, the Desmosecidi GP26, for the first time in 2026. However, he sees this less as an entrance exam for the factory team and more as a personal performance test.
Starting next season, Ducati will compete with four new prototypes. In addition to official factory riders Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia, as well as VR46 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio, Alex Marquez will also receive the latest GP26 at Gresini.
Since joining the team in 2023, the younger of the Marquez brothers has always ridden last year’s bikes. But his impressive performances on the GP24 this season convinced Ducati to entrust him with the latest equipment.
The move is seen as a logical step forward and allows Ducati to compare Marquez’s performance directly with the factory riders. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old emphasizes that he is not under any particular pressure to prove himself in 2026. “No, I don’t see it that way,” he said at a press conference in Madrid. “I see it more as a test for myself. It’s about getting the best out of your garage so that there are no doubts about what could have happened if you had had the latest bike. And to be honest, that doesn’t make me more nervous, it actually gives me peace of mind,” said Marquez.
From almost out to runner-up in the 2025 world championship
At the Malaysian Grand Prix, the 29-year-old secured second place in the riders’ standings ahead of schedule – a remarkable achievement for a rider who has had to fight long and hard for his future in the premier class in the past.
After difficult years at LCR Honda, where he was hardly competitive, Marquez found his old strength again at Gresini in 2023. With the GP24, he finally took the decisive step in 2024 and established himself at the top. The runner-up title has special significance for him, not only as a symbol of his comeback, but also because his brother Marc won the world championship.
“It’s similar to a title, but not a normal second place for me,” says the younger of the two brothers about finishing second in the world championship. “My path in MotoGP has not been easy. I started very well in 2020 with two podium finishes as a rookie at Repsol Honda, but then I moved to LCR and struggled there for two years.”
“I was almost at home in 2023. It was only through a stroke of luck that I got the chance at Gresini. That’s why this is so special. I’m second, the first of the losers. But the winner is my brother. That’s a different feeling.”
“It was just perfect. It’s special when you consider where we come from. That’s why it’s a really good second place,” Marquez emphasizes.
Looking ahead: Title fight against his brother?
With second place in the World Championship, the Spaniard has achieved the best result of his MotoGP career so far. In 2026, he wants to take the next step and fight for the title. But to do that, he will have to beat his brother Marc on the same bike. “I would never say that Marc is unbeatable, but it’s very difficult,” he admits. “The pressure he puts on, constantly riding at the limit from the first practice session, that’s tough. The difficult thing is to have the precision that he has.”
“No one is unbeatable, but beating him over 22 races is very difficult,” Marquez knows. Despite the competition on the track, he emphasizes that both can benefit from each other, also through their different riding styles: “I lack Marc’s explosiveness, and he lacks the calmness that I have.”
“We’ve both improved, but I envy Marc’s explosiveness more than his calmness. That’s what has earned him more titles. I’m going to stay the same. And if I do change, I hope someone gives me a little nudge.”