Marco Bezzecchi
Alex Marquez stunned Sylvain Guintoli in practice for the 2025 MotoGP Czech Grand Prix on Friday after one moment showed shades of his elder brother, Marc Marquez.
The two Marquez brothers have regularly led the way during the 2025 MotoGP season, with Marc topping the standings on 344 points ahead of Alex on 261. A Marquez brother has also won eight of the first 11 Grands Prix and every Sprint Race this season prior to the Czech GP.
Marc and Alex will even hope to be the Marquez brother who earns the family’s eighth pole position of 2025 on Saturday. Marc Marquez has scored seven poles since he left Gresini for Ducati this term. Alex Marquez scored his only pole so far at the 2023 Argentina Grand Prix.
The brothers will stake their case for pole at the Czech GP in Q2, having both secured places in Saturday’s shootout during Friday’s timed practice session. Marc topped the timesheet by 0.469 seconds over LCR’s Johann Zarco, while Alex finished back in P9 with a 1.058s deficit.
Alex Marquez echoed Marc Marquez with his response to crashing in Czech GP practice
Guintoli was especially impressed with Gresini ace Alex earning an automatic Q2 spot at the Czech GP, as he only had one chance to do so after crashing during the pre-qualifying timed practice session. Alex Marquez is recovering from a broken hand he suffered at Assen, too.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Alex Marquez from net worth to career stats
Gresini’s hopes for the Spaniard seemed set to take a major dent with his crash, as Marquez fell at Turn 7 with seven minutes to go. The Cervera native lost the front of his Ducati GP24 before his knee had hit the wet track, and quickly realised the risk of failing to get a Q2 spot.
Marquez got back to the Gresini garage with 03:10 left of the session, so he did not have the time for any discussions with his mechanics – not even to know what tyres he was about to head out on. The 29-year-old got straight on his spare GP24 and left the pits with 02:51 left.
But Marquez managed to produce a lap time fast enough for an automatic Q2 place with his one flying lap to Guintoli’s wonder. He said on TNT Sports 2 (18/07, 15:22): “Very impressive just after crashing like that. Jumping on the bike, well, it’s Marquez-esque, isn’t it?”
Alex Marquez’s quick thinking was crucial to earning an automatic Q2 place at Brno
Marquez’s quick thinking immediately after crashing in practice for the Czech GP to get back to the Gresini garage as hastily as possible was crucial for him to get an automatic Q2 place. The 2019 Moto2 champion hit the finish line to set his lap time after the chequered flag fell.
The 2014 Moto3 champion even set personal best sector times in all four sectors of Brno to record a 2:04.993. Marquez had slipped to 12th place during his run to the flag as the circuit continued to dry out following a very wet start to the hour-long session on Friday afternoon.
Gresini will hope Marquez can now utilise his automatic Q2 place to potentially set himself up for his seventh Grand Prix and 11th Sprint podium this term. Last week’s German Grand Prix saw him fail to finish a Sprint on the podium for the first time this term, as he came P8.
While Marc Marquez has dominated for Ducati, Fabio Quartararo has named Alex Marquez as the rider who has ‘surprised’ him ‘the most’ this year, as well. The Gresini rider won the Spanish Grand Prix and Silverstone Sprint, and has 10 Sprint and six Grand Prix P2 finishes.
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