Alex Marquez: “A teammate is the first you want to beat! I gave Marc Marquez my opinion”
Eight-time world champion Marc’s confirmation that he will swap Repsol Honda for Gresini Ducati in 2024 has caused a major buzz in the paddock at this weeke🐭nd’s Indonesian MotoGP.
And a key chapter in the story will be his teammate next year, his brother Alex who ♊made a successful jump a year ago from LCR Honda to Gresini.
Asked if Marc would become a rival, Alex responded at Mandalika: “Everybody will be my 𝓡rival, not just Marc.
“With a teammate you always have a special thing, he’s the first you want to beat on the trac⭕k, it will be like this, it’s true.
“If we beat him, we will be on the top! It will be a normal relationship🐠.
“We already shared a box, not for long. It didn’t end in the bꦬest way, with his injury. We have a second opportu🍌nity to enjoy it together.”
Alex revealed his own role in the bomb✨shell move that has rocked MotoGP: “It will be interesting to see him on a Ducati bi🦄ke.
“I was expecting a ꦛfast teammate but not like that! It will be fascinating.
“I’m happy for the team, they deserve it, and also for Marc because he deserves it to enjoy it again on the ꦓbike.
“I won’t s༒ay that he didn’t ask for my opinion. But I gave my opi✨nion as a brother, not as a Gresini Ducati rider.
“As a 🐷brother because I𓃲 know what [he’s been through] since 2020. He is suffering even now.
“It’s time to make a change, it’s his dec🌞ision, and for me it is positive.
“I have a fast teammate, an eight-time world ღchampion, and I can learn a lot from that situation. It will increase my level to learn f🥃rom the best rider on the grid.”
Several Ducati riders, including title rivals Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin, have debated whether Marc will immediately bඣecome a championship contender next season with a better machine.
“It’s too early to say that,” Alex insisted. “Normally we see the stories of the Ducati riders when they arrive, it’s quite easy to ඣadapt to the bike, also in my case.
“But he’s been riding the same bike for 11 years, there are ma꧃ny things he ♔must change. But he has an incredible talent.
“He will be fast from the first moment. But to fight for a championship? It’s too early. 🐼Step by step. We still have the whole winter in front, all of preseason.”
The Marquez brothers have also maintained that, away from the paddock,🎉 they do not discuss MotoGP at home 💧in Spain. Next year, that might change…
“We said many times, at home we don’t speak about races,”🌱 Al🌠ex smiled.
“This year less because we have different bikes. Next year yes, because we can speak abo🏅ut the bike, about what he🍃 did, what I did. It will be an easier life for us.”
Alex is returning to action this weeken♍d in Indonesia af🐠ter fracturing a rib.
“I’m really happy to be here again, I miss the team and the atmosphere of MotoGP,” he said after being passed fit to ♊compete.
“It’s not easy to see the races at homꦍe on TV. I arrive on the limit in my physical condition.
“I’ll try to be realistic in every moment. How is the pain? I’ll speak with the doctors and if the pain is too h🦂igh, I will stop. I won’t put any objective on positions. I will go from practice to𝓰 practice.”
James wasﷺ a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade co🎀vering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
