Marc Marquez Breaking news, exclusive interviews & reports - Motorsport Week https://www.motorsportweek.com/tag/marc-marquez/ Motorsport Week is an independent, FIA accredited motorsport website delivering the latest Formula 1, Formula E, GP2, GP3, WEC, IndyCar, Nascar, Formula 3, WRC, WRX, DTM, IMSA and MotoGP news and results. Tue, 18 Mar 2025 12:27:03 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 https://www.motorsportweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/cropped-favicon-1-32x32.png Marc Marquez Breaking news, exclusive interviews & reports - Motorsport Week https://www.motorsportweek.com/tag/marc-marquez/ 32 32 Alex Marquez hits back at ‘disrespectful’ questions about Marc Marquez after Argentina MotoGP https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/18/alex-marquez-hits-back-at-disrespectful-questions-about-marc-marquez-after-argentina-motogp/ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/18/alex-marquez-hits-back-at-disrespectful-questions-about-marc-marquez-after-argentina-motogp/#respond Tue, 18 Mar 2025 14:30:00 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=201561 Alex Marquez races brother Marc at the Argentina MotoGP round

Alex Marquez has hit back at claims he has “too much respect” for elder brother Marc Marquez following Sunday's MotoGP race in Argentina.

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Alex Marquez races brother Marc at the Argentina MotoGP round

Alex Marquez has hit back at claims he has “too much respect” for elder brother Marc Marquez following Sunday’s MotoGP race in Argentina.

The Gresini rider led most of Sunday’s grand prix but was overtaken with four laps to go, eventually finishing 1.362s behind the factory Ducati rider.

After the race, the younger Marquez was asked if he needs to “break the respect” he has for his brother to beat him, which the Spaniard found “disrespectful.” 

“I’ve had this question many times; ‘when will you lose the respect for Marc [Marquez]’ or ‘you respect too much Marc’,” said Marquez via GPOne.

“For me, this question is disrespectful to me. I’m a rider. I give my 100% always, I try to push for my team, for my sponsors. 

“I know that it’s my brother and I will have an extra respect when I overtake him.

“I’m the first one that wants to beat him and I want to win, but I’m more realistic than everybody because I know how Marc is. 

“I know his strong points and I don’t have any problem saying about them. Maybe you will not say directly what your rival is doing really good, but it’s my brother.

“I don’t have any problem saying it, and I don’t have any problem with accepting if he’s better than me in some points.

“So I will try to learn. I will try to give like always my 100%, but stop thinking I have too much respect for Marc.  We saw it today. We fight each other. He was faster than me and I gave my 100%.

“So I’m happy with second. I know that he is better than me in some areas and I will try to improve for the future.”

The Gresini rider was “happy” with second but still believes he needs more to win his first MotoGP race.

Marquez: ‘we need to improve in order to win’

Marquez came close to winning his first Grand Prix race but had to settle for a fourth-consecutive second place in races. 

The Cervera native admitted the elder Marquez can push more in the later stages of the race, and suggested this is an area he is seeking to improve. 

“I tried to push from the beginning, I did a good start, Pecco [Bagnaia] attacked me in turn 3 but I was able to come back to second,” Marquez said.

“I was feeling really good, I had a lot of doubts before the race about the tyre choice, but in the end I decided to be like Marc and Pecco with the medium rear.

“Later, when Marc did a small mistake at turn one I said, ‘OK, I go for it’. I tried to put a nice pace and was able to make a gap to the second group.”

“When he attacked me at Turn 5 I said, ‘OK, time to try’,” he added. 

“So I gave my 100%. I did a ‘38.3 but he was able to make ‘38.2. I was really on the limit. Nearly crashing all the corners.

“I tried to fight with him and to be there. But he’s able to be more on the limit in the last part of the race. So we need to improve there.

“But I’m super happy about all the weekend.”

Marquez: ‘I’m at my strongest in MotoGP right now’ 

The younger Marquez brother has never finished higher than eighth in a MotoGP World Championship season but currently sits second in the standings after a strong start to 2025. 

The Gresini rider confirmed he feels he is riding the best he ever has in the premier class. 

“It’s the moment where I feel at my strongest in MotoGP,” Marquez said.

“This bike suits me in a really good way with the riding style. So I’m just enjoying being on the bike. 

“I’m playing with the bike and it’s something really great. Just we need to keep going like that.

“The team are doing a super job, also the support from Ducati. We need to understand a few things from Marc, but here we were closer and it’s super nice to fight with your brother for a MotoGP victory.”

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Marc Marquez identifies surprise name as his main MotoGP title opponent https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/17/marc-marquez-identifies-surprise-name-as-his-main-motogp-title-opponent/ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/17/marc-marquez-identifies-surprise-name-as-his-main-motogp-title-opponent/#respond Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:03:11 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=201474

Marc Marquez identified a surprise name he believes is his main MotoGP title opponent for the 2025 season.

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Marc Marquez identified a surprise name he believes is his main MotoGP title opponent for the 2025 season.

Marquez completed back-to-back grand slams in Argentina, claiming pole before winning the Sprint and Grand Prix.

The Spaniard extended his lead at the top of the championship, equalling Angel Nieto’s record of 90 total wins.

He defeated his younger brother Alex Marquez by less than a second in the Sprint, before winning the race by 1.3s despite following him for most of the race after making an unforced error.

The Marquez brothers once again featured on the top two steps of the podium, before Marc stated post-race that he believes his younger brother is his main opponent for the championship.

“But Alex today I’m very impressed about his riding style. He was super smooth,” said Marquez to Crash.net.

“And I know when he is super convinced he is able to win a world championship, like he did in Moto3, in Moto2.

“So, at the end he is the main opponent for the championship.”

Marquez brothers dominate to 1-2 once again – Credit: MotoGP

Marc Marquez took a ‘lot of risks’ to win the race

Despite leading for the first three laps Marquez ran wide at Turn 1 on Lap 4, which allowed his brother to take the lead.

The older brother prevailed in the end following an overtake on Lap 21, before clearing off into the distance to establish a 1.3s advantage.

The factory Ducati rider continued to heap praise on his brother’s performance, stating he rode “super smooth.”

The Spaniard admitted that to win the race he had to take more risks, which explained the incidents in which he experienced a few wobbles aboard his Desmosedici.

“Today I’m impressed about my brother, about Alex,” he added.

“In one part of the race I was thinking to finish second because he was riding super smooth, super good, always keeping the corner speed.

“I mean his tyre was not smoking. I said ‘ok, this guy today has another level’.

“Then in the end I survived. I took a risk, as you saw, I took a lot of risks – maybe too much in some points of the race.”

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Marc Marquez clinches resounding MotoGP victory in Argentina https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/16/marc-marquez-clinches-resounding-motogp-victory-in-argentina/ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/16/marc-marquez-clinches-resounding-motogp-victory-in-argentina/#respond Sun, 16 Mar 2025 18:45:53 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=201415

Marc Marquez clinched a resounding MotoGP victory in Argentina, completing dominant back-to-back race victories.

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Marc Marquez clinched a resounding MotoGP victory in Argentina, completing dominant back-to-back race victories.

Polesitter Marquez held onto his lead and stayed ahead of his younger brother into Turn 1.

Marco Bezzecchi launched off his Aprilia at Turn 1, which resulted in a retirement, ending a torrid weekend for the factory outfit.

Bezzecchi’s crash forced Fabio Quartararo off the track, dropping down to 19th as a result.

Francesco Bagnaia and Johann Zarco swapped positions but the Italian made the move stick to take third spot, with his eyes set on catching the Marquez brothers.

Ai Ogura continued to impress the paddock by starting strong to claim tenth spot by the end of the second lap, providing some much needed optimism for Aprilia.

An early crash from Enea Bastianini saw him retire on Lap 2 in his second race weekend for KTM.

On Lap 4, Franco Morbidelli slotted himself past Zarco to climb up to fourth place, before younger brother Alex Marquez moved past his older brother for the lead.

Marquez wasn’t able to find the right line and ran wide at Turn 1, allowing the Gresini rider to seize the opportunity and overtake.

Morbidelli’s purple patch continued due to him choosing the soft compound rear tyre, overtaking his fellow VR46 Academy graduate Bagnaia after the long straight.

Quite remarkably, Ogura rose through the grid with relative ease, overtaking Alex Rins, Pedro Acosta, and Joan Mir in the early stages.

The Marquez brothers cemented a 0.8s advantage over Morbidelli as the race reached Lap 8, though the younger brother was under considerable threat out front.

Riders held their positions over the next few laps, with gaps forming between the Marquez brothers, VR46 Ducati rider Morbidelli, and Bagnaia and Zarco.

Few predicted Zarco would still be tailing the factory Ducati, given the Bologna machinery’s dominance, but the Frenchman’s Honda has shown noticeable improvements after a disastrous 2024.

Towards the end of Lap 15, the older Marquez brother had a tank slapper aboard his factory Ducati. It was clear he was pushing hard to catch up to his brother, but there was no way through just yet.

Marquez attempted a lunge at the end of the back straight on Lap 18 in what was an overly ambitious move, but he ran wide and now faces the hard work ahead to catch up.

The gap between the two riders extended to 0.5s, but credit to the incumbent leader, who had the edge at his brother’s strongest points on track.

Marc finally made the move on Lap 20 at the same Turn, ensuring that the race was in his hands.

The eight-time champion stretched his lead to 0.6s yet opted to still ride to the absolute limit, before extending the advantage to over a second.

The factory Ducati rider won once again around the Termas de Rio Hondo, equalling Angel Nieto’s record with the third most wins across all classes.

Marquez crossed the 1.3s clear of his younger brother, who managed to bring home another podium finish.

Morbidelli earned his first MotoGP podium in over four years despite late pressure from Bagnaia, who finished in fourth.

Fabio Di Giannantonio earned fifth following a last lap overtake on Honda rider Zarco, defeating the Frenchman who finished as the lead non-Ducati rider.

Brad Binder finished an impressive seventh for KTM, as rookie sensation Ogura forced his way through on Acosta to snatch eighth.

Joan Mir and Luca Marini finished within three tenths of each other to take tenth and 11th, boasting an impressive outing for the Japanese marque.

Alex Rins earned points to take 12th spot, followed by fellow compatriot Maverick Vinales aboard his RC16 KTM.

Jack Miller and Fabio Quartararo crossed the line 14th and 15th for Yamaha, respectively.

Trackhouse Racing’s Raul Fernandez missed out on the points and finished in 16th, defeating rookie Fermin Aldeguer.

Bastianini recovered from his crash to finish in 18th, ahead of rookie Somkiat Chantra who occupied 19th and finished as the final classified rider.

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Marc Marquez continues MotoGP dominance with Argentina Sprint victory https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/15/marc-marquez-continues-motogp-dominance-with-argentina-sprint-victory/ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/15/marc-marquez-continues-motogp-dominance-with-argentina-sprint-victory/#respond Sat, 15 Mar 2025 18:37:16 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=201221 Marc Marquez continued his MotoGP dominance in Argentina Sprint

Marc Marquez continued his MotoGP winning streak as he earned a third-consecutive victory in 2025 at the Argentina Sprint race. 

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Marc Marquez continued his MotoGP dominance in Argentina Sprint

Marc Marquez continued his MotoGP winning streak as he earned a third-consecutive victory in 2025 at the Argentina Sprint race. 

The Spanish rider came under significant pressure from Gresini’s Alex Marquez, but was able to maintain his composure to seal a third win in 2025. 

Marquez got a fantastic start from pole position and was able to maintain the lead down into the first corner. 

Francesco Bagnaia also got a good start on the second factory Ducati and was able to overtake Johann Zarco for third into Turn 1. 

Gresini’s Marquez preserved his second place but quickly came under pressure from Bagnaia, but the Italian was unable to get through after coming under fire from the fast-starting Fabio Quartararo.

The younger Marquez was the fastest rider on track in the early stages of the race and was able to break clear of Bagnaia to chase after his brother out front. 

Pedro Acosta made it past the duelling Zarco and Quartararo as he looked to continue a strong weekend, but was quickly passed by both riders.

The Frenchman was the fastest rider on track in the closing stages of the Sprint and he looked to cut the deficit to Bagnaia in third. 

At the front, it was Marc Marquez who took the chequered flag to continue his perfect record in races in 2025.

Alex Marquez earned another second place for the Gresini team, 0.903s behind the factory Ducati rider.

Despite a late challenge from Zarco, Bagnaia rounded out an all-Ducati podium in third.

Zarco took a welcome fourth for Honda as VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio ensured it was four Ducatis inside the top five.

Marco Bezzecchi was sixth for Aprilia after overcoming a challenge from Franco Morbidelli, while Joan Mir was eighth following a late battle with ninth-placed Acosta. 

Quartararo finished outside the points despite a fantastic start to the race in tenth, with Jack Miller and Alex Rins in 11th and 12th respectively. 

Luca Marini improved to 13th in the Sprint and Tech3 KTM’s Enea Bastianini showcased his late race pace to earn 14th. 

Ai Ogura led the Trackhouse riders over the line in 15th, with Raul Fernandez narrowly behind in 16th. 

Somkiat Chantra finished the race in 17th ahead of the struggling Maverick Vinales in 18th.

Fermin Aldeguer crashed on lap six but rejoined to complete the finishers in 19th.

Lorenzo Savadori retired from the race with a technical problem, joining Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder as the retirements from the Sprint.  

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Marc Marquez demolishes lap record to take pole in Argentina MotoGP qualifying https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/15/marc-marquez-demolishes-lap-record-to-take-pole-in-argentina-motogp-qualifying/ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/15/marc-marquez-demolishes-lap-record-to-take-pole-in-argentina-motogp-qualifying/#respond Sat, 15 Mar 2025 14:44:04 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=201206 Marc Marquez at the Argentina MotoGP

Marc Marquez demolished his own lap record to take a stunning pole position in Argentina MotoGP qualifying for Ducati.

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Marc Marquez at the Argentina MotoGP

Marc Marquez demolished his own lap record to take a stunning pole position in Argentina MotoGP qualifying for Ducati.

Marquez set a new lap record on his first flying run in qualifying by a tenth, which he then surpassed one lap later to post a benchmark time of 1:37.023.

Nobody was able to beat the original time posted by the Spanish rider, but on his penultimate run he bested his previous records with a 1:36.917 to confirm his pole position. 

Alex Marquez took second place, 0.246s off his brother’s best time of the session.  

Johann Zarco completed the front row with a shock third place for the LCR Honda team. 

Francesco Bagnaia ended the session in fourth place ahead of KTM’s Pedro Acosta, who benefitted from Bagnaia’s slipstream, in fifth. 

Fabio Di Giannantonio achieved sixth in qualifying, while Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo narrowly missed out on the second-row seventh.

Franco Morbidelli was eighth after advancing from Q1 as Marco Bezzecchi took ninth for Aprilia. 

Joan Mir completed the top ten for Honda, a tenth clear of Brad Binder in 11th and Alex Rins in 12th.

Jack Miller narrowly missed out on a Q2 appearance and ended qualifying in 13th. 

Fermin Aldeguer was the top rookie in qualifying after finishing 14th, while Ai Ogura crashed on his last lap and could only take 15th. 

Luca Marini was 16th for the factory Honda team ahead of Pramac’s Miguel Oliveira in 17th.

Raul Fernandez took 18th for the Trackhouse team as three Aprilia riders were eliminated from Q1. 

Somkiat Chantra also crashed on his final run and ended the session in 19th for the LCR Honda team.

Tech3 KTM continued their struggles in qualifying and finished 20th and 21st, with Maverick Vinales leading Enea Bastianini.  

Raul Fernandez was 21st for Trackhouse as Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori completed the standings in 22nd.

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Marc Marquez sets the benchmark in second Argentina MotoGP practice https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/14/marc-marquez-sets-the-benchmark-in-second-argentina-motogp-practice/ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/14/marc-marquez-sets-the-benchmark-in-second-argentina-motogp-practice/#respond Fri, 14 Mar 2025 19:11:35 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=201061

Marc Marquez set the benchmark lap time in the second Argentina MotoGP practice, completing the double to round off a perfect Friday.

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Marc Marquez set the benchmark lap time in the second Argentina MotoGP practice, completing the double to round off a perfect Friday.

The factory Ducati rider rounded off a perfect day by topping both Friday practice sessions and setting a new all-time lap record of 1.37.295s.

His nearest challenger was fellow GP25 Ducati rider Fabio Di Giannantonio, who banked second place in the dying embers of the session.

The younger brother Alex Marquez secured third place, completing a Ducati top-three sweep, with all three positions held by riders from the three Ducati teams.

Marco Bezzecchi posted an impressive time of 1.37.510s to seal fourth place for Aprilia, with his recorded time becoming the first to break the all-time record.

Fifth and sixth places went to KTM rider Brad Binder and Yamahas Alex Rins, both of whom trailed the factory Ducati duo for a tow, adding extra tenths to their respective lap times.

Johann Zarco finished on seventh to finish as the lead Honda rider once again, where he sandwiched himself between the factory Yamaha duo.

Fabio Quartararo tried the same tow strategy as Rins on the factory Ducati, but while following Francesco Bagnaia, the Italian rider crashed out at Turn 2.

Quartararo himself finished eighth in the session, but Bagnaia scraped through into Q2 by finishing in the last automatic qualifying spot.

Pedro Acosta suffered a late crash when riders were completing their outlaps, but dragged his Austrian marque to Q2 to accompany teammate Brad Binder.

Ai Ogura was the nearest challenger to miss out on the second phase of qualifying, but finished ahead of VR46 Ducati rider Franco Morbidelli.

Jack Miller established 14th place for Pramac Yamaha, placing himself in the middle of a factory Honda sandwich comprising of Joan Mir and Luca Marini.

Maverick Vinales finished in 16th place as he continued his adjustment to the KTM, finishing one second behind Marquez’s time attack.

Rookie Fermin Aldeguer established 17th place for Gresini, improving on Miguel Oliveria’s lap by over three tenths of a second.

Somkiat Chantra improved from his performance in the first practice to finish 19th, as the rookie posted a time faster than those of Raul Fernandez and Enea Bastianini.

Once again, Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori finished the session in last spot, stepping in for Jorge Martin this weekend as the Spaniard recovers from injury.

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Marc Marquez tops the first practice timesheets at Argentina MotoGP https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/14/marc-marquez-tops-the-first-practice-timesheets-at-argentina-motogp/ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/14/marc-marquez-tops-the-first-practice-timesheets-at-argentina-motogp/#respond Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:41:08 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=201024

Factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez topped the timesheets in the first MotoGP practice session at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo.

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Factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez topped the timesheets in the first MotoGP practice session at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo.

The Spaniard produced a fantastic lap time of 1.38.937s with five minutes to go, continuing from his dominant season opening performance in Thailand.

Rain fell onto the circuit overnight, resulting in lap times hitting the optimal level expected, with the track surface extremely dirty on all parts of the track.

Regardless of the potential damp patches on the track, riders complied as many laps as possible to understand bike performance.

Johann Zarco finished the session in second aboard the LCR Honda, despite previously impressing as the table-topper in the early parts of the session.

Gresini rider Alex Marquez continued his fine display at the season opener to finish the session in third, but was over fourth tenths behind the top two.

Ducatis dominance continued thanks to Franco Morbidelli posting a time to place him in fourth spot.

2023 Argentine Grand Prix winner Marco Bezzecchi led the classification charts for a small stint during the session, finishing fifth overall and as the lead Aprilia.

Luca Marini posted a strong sixth place for Honda, further solidifying the progress the Japanese marque has made over the winter period.

Jack Miller posted Yamahas best result to finish seventh for Pramac Yamaha, pipping lead KTM rider Maverick Vinales and the second HRC rider of Joan Mir.

The factory KTM duo of Pedro Acosta and Brad Binder finished in tenth and 11th, respectively, separated by under 0.020s.

The factory Yamaha duo of Alex Rins and Fabio Quartararo produced 12th and 13th for their first practice session, placing themselves right in the middle of the pack.

Fabio Di Giannantonio completed his session ten places off his teammate in a lonely 14th, finishing ahead of rookie sensation Ai Ogura.

The second factory Ducati rider, Francesco Bagnaia could only muster 16th, finishing 1.351s off the pace of his table topping teammate Marquez.

Fermin Aldeguer ended his session in 17th in his second MotoGP race weekend, lapping quicker than Miguel Oliveira and fellow rookie Somkiat Chantra.

Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez established 20th position, defeating the struggling Enea Bastianini who closed out proceedings as the last placed full-time rider.

Lorenzo Savadori finished in dead last and over a second adrift, standing in for defending MotoGP champion Jorge Martin.

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How Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi share similar MotoGP ‘manipulation’ strategies https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/07/how-marc-marquez-and-valentino-rossi-share-similar-motogp-manipulation-strategies/ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/07/how-marc-marquez-and-valentino-rossi-share-similar-motogp-manipulation-strategies/#respond Fri, 07 Mar 2025 14:30:00 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=199595 Marc Marquez at the Thai MotoGP race

TNT Sports pundit Neil Hodgson says Marc Marquez can “manipulate” MotoGP teams to suit his needs in a "similar manner" to Valentino Rossi.

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Marc Marquez at the Thai MotoGP race

TNT Sports pundit Neil Hodgson says Marc Marquez can “manipulate” MotoGP teams to suit his needs in a “similar manner” to Valentino Rossi.

Marquez won both races on his debut with the factory Ducati squad at the season-opening Thai Grand Prix, finishing over two seconds clear of teammate Francesco Bagnaia.

It has long been anticipated the 2025 title battle would be between the two teammates, but the championship could be decided by who gets the most support from the team.

Hodgson believes this is where Marquez can “manipulate” the team to fight in his corner, and drew comparisons to the Spaniard’s long-time rival Rossi. 

“People at home will think about Marc [Marquez]: arrogance, because of his behaviour on track,” Hodgson assessed.

“But he’s a people person, he’s a real team player. He’s really good – this sounds harsh – at manipulating the team around him.

“I underline that by saying it’s part of the job. You want all the guys in the team to fight for you. Marc is the master of that.

“Do you know who was better than him, or as good as him? Valentino [Rossi].

“Valentino could manipulate a team around him very well.”

Marc Marquez with Ducati general manager Gigi Dall'Igna at the ThaiGP
Marquez has already impressed the higher-ups at Ducati with his debut performance. Image by Ducati Media House.

‘Ducati love winners’: how Marc Marquez could upset Francesco Bagnaia in 2025

Marquez joined Ducati after its most dominant campaign in recent memory, with Bagnaia taking 11 victories aboard the GP24 last season.

While Hodgson admitted “Ducati love winners” he suggested Marquez could get the garage in his favour over the two-time champion.

“It’s not his first rodeo! He knows how to play the press, and a garage,” Hodgson continued.

“He’s very good at turning the garage he works in all onto his side. They loved him at Gresini and at Honda.

“Now he’s got the ultimate challenge of turning Bagnaia’s garage into a Marc Marquez garage.

“Pecco [Bagnaia] won their first MotoGP title since Casey Stoner in 2007. An Italian on their bike winning the championship was huge. They love Pecco at Ducati.

“But one thing I know is that Ducati love winners.”

Hodgson’s TNT Sports colleague Michael Laverty added Marquez is “confident” now he is working with the “best engineers” in the paddock.

“He did sometimes at Gresini. At Aragon he probably arrived confidently, but he was always on the back foot on the older machine,” Laverty said.

“Now, he’s got the best tools on the planet at his disposal, and the best engineers.

“The swagger in how he walks around the paddock? He is confident.”

READ MORE – Francesco Bagnaia ‘not in MotoGP to finish third’ after Thai GP struggles

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Marc Marquez: Thai MotoGP weekend ‘the best of my life’ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/02/marc-marquez-thai-motogp-weekend-the-best-of-my-life/ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/02/marc-marquez-thai-motogp-weekend-the-best-of-my-life/#respond Sun, 02 Mar 2025 11:08:57 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=199469

Factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez described his 2025 MotoGP season opener at Thailand as "the best weekend of my life."

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Factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez described his 2025 MotoGP season opener at Thailand as “the best weekend of my life.”

The Spaniard started his new chapter at the factory Ducati by claiming pole position and winning the Sprint and Grand Prix.

Marquez overcame a tyre pressure scare in the Sunday race, earning the maximum 37 points for the weekend and leading the championship for the first time since his 2019 success.

He made history by becoming the second rider, after Casey Stoner, to win on his debut for the factory Bologna manufacturer.

The race ended a 1-2 for the Marquez brothers, with his younger brother Alex securing second place, finishing 1.7s behind.

It was super emotional, not just to start this new journey with Ducati Lenovo with a victory, more to share first and second with my brother,” he said to TNT Sports.

“I think this is the best weekend of my life, more than when we were world champions in different categories, it was super good but this is the premier class, we don’t have more than this.

“We were the best riders in a normal race, in a dry race. To share that first second position in the qualifying, the first second position in the sprint, first second position in the race for the whole weekend is amazing.

“I’m super happy for Alex and super happy also for my team. I want to say thank you to all the guys at Ducati Lenovo.”

Marc Marquez prevails in MotoGP Thai season opener
A truly dominant weekend for Marquez – Credit: Ducati Media House

Marc Marquez’s worry was due to tyre pressure fears

On Lap 7, the elder brother Marquez had a bizarre moment where he opted to drop back behind his brother in second place. He sat behind the back of his brother’s bike for the vast majority of the race, before regaining the lead on Lap 23.

The Spaniard cruised home for the remainder of the race. Though it was unclear what the issue was at the time, the eight-time champion later explained the events that occurred in the race.

“Yes, I forgot already but yes. It was a super demanding race because the feeling was super good in the beginning, I already opened up a nice gap, but then I realised the tyre pressure was not enough so I was looking for a slipstream.

“I only had three laps of margin and for that reason I overtook Alex with three laps to the end. It was quite critical because a penalisation would’ve been a disaster, but we worked together, we’re a team and we did it.

“I know the season has only just started but it’s the best way to start. The confidence is super high, we start in a very good way in Malaysia, we continue in Thailand and now in the race weekend.

“On Sunday, always my teammate is Mr Sunday and he’s super fast, so I was a bit worried for that reason so I was super concentrated. I had pace, we have a good bike so we need to continue in the same way.”

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Marc Marquez prevails in MotoGP Thai season opener https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/02/marc-marquez-prevails-in-motogp-thai-season-opener/ https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/03/02/marc-marquez-prevails-in-motogp-thai-season-opener/#respond Sun, 02 Mar 2025 08:47:53 +0000 https://www.motorsportweek.com/?p=199436

Factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez completed an impressive victory in the 2025 MotoGP season opener in Thailand.

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Factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez completed an impressive victory in the 2025 MotoGP season opener in Thailand.

The 32-year-old became the first rider to win for the Ducati factory squad on debut since Casey Stoner at the 2007 Qatar Grand Prix.

Just like in the Sprint race on Saturday, Alex Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia accompanied Marquez on the podium.

The older brother Marquez launched best off the line and steered clear from Turn 1 on the opening lap. However, the younger brother Marquez and Bagnaia retained positions despite the factory Ducati rider’s efforts to edge through.

Ai Ogura rose to fourth place aboard his Trackhouse as Jack Miller relinquished his qualifying position as all riders approached the second sector.

After Lap 1, the Marquez brothers maintained strong gaps out front. The opening laps saw the factory Ducati rider cement a lead between 1.2s and 1.5s over his brother, but notably Bagnaia couldn’t quite match the Gresini rider’s pace.

KTM rider Pedro Acosta crashed out early on at Turn 1 on Lap 3 after losing the front of his RC16. He was placed seventh before his crash but managed to rejoin, having all the work to do from last place.

Things went quiet for the subsequent laps but on Lap 7 inside Turn 3 the camera panned to the leader slowing down. It was suggested that the front tyre’s pressures were too high, but the Marquez brothers swapped positions, and the eight-time champion regained up to full speed soon after.

Despite the bizarre moment, VR46 Ducati rider Franco Morbidelli dispatched Ogura’s satellite Aprilia to seal fourth spot. The Italian started the race in ninth despite qualifying sixth after impeding Bagnaia in qualifying.

On the topic of the two-time MotoGP champion, he caught up to within 0.6s of the Marquez brothers, but had to be cautious due to the VR46 rider up behind him.

Joan Mir produced a stunning performance all race and rose through the field to an impressive seventh place. However, his race ended on Lap 15 at the final corner at Turn 12.

Marco Bezzecchi overtook Jack Miller at Turn 3 to rise further up to sixth place on his debut for Aprilia, as he eyed up Ogura.

Out front, the Spanish duo remained in the top two positions. Despite a wobble from the Gresini rider, there was no clear sign that the older brother Marquez was going to make a move.

However, the inevitable move was sealed in the final corner with four laps to go, then released a statement to the paddock by dominating the rest of the race.

As he crossed the finish line he extended the gap to 1.7s over his brother, winning the season opener for the first time since the 2014 season.

Gresini rider Marquez completed his weekend with two second placed finishes in a row to get his 2025 campaign off to a strong start.

The second factory Ducati rider of Bagnaia was no match to the Marquez duo, but brought the bike home in third.

Morbidelli salvaged fourth place for VR46 Ducati and was in his own world, finishing 3.1s behind his fellow VR46 Academy graduate and 2.5s ahead of rookie Ogura.

Ogura’s fifth place was a more than impressive outing for his debut Grand Prix, finishing as the lead non-Ducati rider and only 7.5s off victory.

Bezzecchi and Johann Zarco battled it out for sixth and seventh, but the Italian clung on to produce a strong finish on his debut with his Italian marque.

Despite Acosta’s crash, KTM rider Brad Binder and Tech3 rider Enea Bastianini completed eighth and ninth place, respectively. Bastianini rose his way up the field despite his notable struggles throughout the weekend.

Fabio Di Giannantonio fended off Miller for tenth place and Honda’s Luca Marini sealed 12th place.

Fermin Aldeguer completed his debut race for Gresini Ducati in 13th, defeating the second Pramac Yamaha rider Miguel Oliveira.

Fabio Quartararo rose to 15th after his bad start to claim the final point as the Frenchman overtook Maverick Vinales and Alex Rins in the final laps.

Somkiat Chantra delivered 18th in front of his home crowd on his debut for LCR Honda.

Acosta finished a distant 19th after his crash but still defeated the final classified rider of Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori.

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