Alex Márquez, rider for Gresini Racing, ended his brother Marc’s impressive winning streak by claiming victory at the Catalonia Grand Prix on Sunday. This win is particularly significant as it follows his retirement during Saturday’s sprint, marking only his second career victory.
Marc’s Winning Streak
Marc had achieved 15 consecutive victories in sprints and races, and a win on Sunday would have brought him closer to a seventh title on the Ducati circuit at the upcoming Grand Prix of San Marino next weekend.
Alex’s Determination
However, Alex had other plans and changed the course of events. With seven races remaining, Marc’s lead in the championship has been reduced to 182 points, meaning the Ducati rider cannot secure the title until at least the Grand Prix of Japan later this month.
Enea Bastianini from Tech3 finished in third place, marking his first podium with the team, while Pedro Acosta (KTM) and Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) rounded out the top five. Alex stated,
« Cela fait tellement de bien. C’est vrai que j’ai encore en tête cet accident d’hier, mais aujourd’hui, lorsque j’étais sur la moto, je me suis dit : ‘OK, celle-ci doit aller à la maison, celle-ci doit être avec moi.’ »
« J’ai pu réaliser de bons temps au tour et je suis super heureux pour l’équipe car dans les moments difficiles, ils ont toujours été avec moi, me soutenant, et nous sommes de retour. »
Race Dynamics
Alex secured his first pole position since April 2023, but it was Marc, the sprint winner, who made a perfect start to take the lead at the first corner, preventing his brother from overtaking him in the next turn, with Acosta taking third place.
Alex was determined not to finish behind Marc once again this season. The Gresini Racing rider emerged from his brother’s shadow and struck on the fourth lap, finding an opening at the first corner to regain the lead.
Marc had warned all weekend that his younger brother had the best pace, which was confirmed by the lap times, with Alex recording the fastest lap and building a half-second lead. Behind them, Bastianini took advantage of Acosta’s slipstream to overtake him on the 11th lap and move into third place, causing a broad smile from Guenther Steiner, former F1 team principal and future CEO of Tech3.
As the top three pulled ahead, Acosta, the only rider on the grid using a soft rear tire, began to fall behind, as his strategy did not pay off. Ultimately, the battle was held between the two Márquez brothers, with Bastianini stating it was impossible for him to catch up.
Marc also began to ease his efforts, with the gap steadily increasing in the final laps as the elder Márquez realized he had been decisively beaten by a determined Alex.
« J’ai donné le maximum, j’ai réalisé une course parfaite, » a déclaré un Marc reconnaissant, qui a même salué son frère pendant qu’Alex profitait des applaudissements de la foule enjouée.
« Il était plus rapide et j’ai juste essayé de le suivre, mais lors de ce dernier tour, j’étais un peu à la limite. J’ai eu quelques difficultés. Mais je suis heureux pour Alex, heureux pour Ducati, heureux pour moi car sur un circuit difficile, j’ai terminé deuxième. »