After Silverstone, Marc Marquez hopes to return to his former form at Aragon—the left-hand turns suit his riding style—and his rivals expect as much
MotorLand Aragon in Spain is one of the best tracks for Marc Marquez. He has already won there seven times: in 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024, and 2025. Last year, he led every single session.
Marquez has also started from pole position seven times in Aragon and won the Sprint in 2024 and 2025. In the run-up to the race weekend, he is considered the clear favorite in the MotoGP paddock.
“Marc is the one you have to beat,” says KTM rider Pedro Acosta. “That’s for sure, even though he struggled at Silverstone. One corner on this track is named after him.” Turn 10 was named after him back in 2018.
The 5.08-kilometer track consists of ten left-hand turns and seven right-hand turns. Along with Austin, Balaton Park, Sachsenring, Phillip Island, and Valencia, it is the sixth track on the calendar that runs counterclockwise.
All these factors are a perfect fit for Márquez’s riding style. “Yes, he makes a huge difference in all the left-hand turns,” says Fabio Di Giannantonio. “He makes the same difference he does in left-hand turns on every track. He’s incredible.”
“I think these are also the kinds of tracks that naturally suit him. I don’t know, maybe like Mugello or Phillip Island for me. The bad thing is that I don’t do as well here as he does.”
“But yeah, he rides incredibly well with little effort, so he’ll definitely be the favorite this weekend. You see his lines, and he’s better in the corners. So it’s like, ‘What the hell?’”
Marc Marquez is banking on the left-hand turns
Before the summer break, Marquez dominated at the Sachsenring with pole position and victories in the Sprint and the Grand Prix. Silverstone proved difficult, with a ninth-place finish in the Sprint and seventh in the Grand Prix.
Will he now be able to build on his Sachsenring performance at Aragon? “Yes, obviously we’re at a track that I like because of my riding style,” says the reigning MotoGP world champion.
“At Silverstone, I was a bit frustrated—especially on Sunday—because I didn’t ride the way I’m capable of. I think my physical condition will be better now because I’ve built up some muscle mass in the gym.”
“It should be better for my right arm here because of the left-hand turns, plus my particular strength in riding style, which is left-hand turns. I want to be competitive in the next few races, but we’ll see.”
The layout at Silverstone suited Aprilia. On top of that, the RS-GP generates more grip than the Ducati on low-grip asphalt. In Aragon, the tide could turn in Ducati’s favor again, because the track surface offers significantly more grip.
“It’s obvious that Aprilia has found something this year,” Marquez says of the competition, “because four Aprilia riders are very fast at every track, especially on tracks like Assen and Silverstone with fast corners.”
“Here we have a mix of those kinds of corners, and yes, we’ll see, but in the end, I feel comfortable on my bike and I know that if I push to my maximum potential, I can fight for the win.”
Aprilia: Martin and Bezzecchi Focus on Themselves
In the World Championship, Marquez trails Jorge Martin by 40 points, Marco Bezzecchi by nine, and Ai Ogura—who is out with an injury in Aragon—by three. The two Aprilia factory riders also consider Marquez the favorite.
“Marc is definitely super strong here; we all know that,” says Martin. “For me, it’s simply a matter of focusing on what I can control. I can’t control whether he’s fast or not.”
“I can control what I do, how I work, and I’ll try to find the maximum possible speed. If I have a chance to fight, I’ll take it, and if not, I’ll make the most of it.”
Bezzecchi, whose left knee is still giving him trouble from the Sachsenring crash, agrees with his teammate’s assessment: “Marc is fast everywhere, but here in a special way.”
“So the best thing is to try to focus on myself and ride as well as I can. Right now, I’m in a different situation than the others, so I’m just focusing on myself.”
The most successful brand at MotorLand Aragon is Honda with seven wins, followed by Ducati with five. Aprilia has never won on this track. Aleix Espargaro’s third-place finish in 2022 is Aprilia’s best result.