Alex Marquez has seen a big change from Marc Marquez since his Honda days that’s made him ‘even stronger’

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Marc Marquez is closing in on winning a seventh MotoGP riders’ title, and could even secure the 2025 crown on Ducati’s home soil at the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano.

MotoGP heads to Misano in the race after next for round 16 of this year’s scheduled 22 after a quick stop in Barcelona for the Catalan Grand Prix. Marquez will only need to leave the San Marino GP with a 222-point lead over his brother, Alex Marquez of Gresini, to claim the title.

It would be unprecedented if Marc Marquez were to win the title at Misano, with six rounds of the 2025 MotoGP season remaining. It would also see the Spaniard match Valentino Rossi as a seven-time premier class champion at the Italian’s home, if he needed extra motivation.

Ducati could also celebrate Marquez winning the 2025 title in his first season in their factory team on home soil at Misano if Alex is unable to delay Marc’s inevitable coronation. It is just a question of when, not if, the 32-year-old wins this year’s title after taking a 175-point lead.

Alex Marquez feels Marc Marquez is ‘even stronger’ as his 2020 Jerez crash changed his mindset

Marquez has been in a class of his own this term to win 10 Grands Prix and 13 Sprint Races, plus eight pole positions, since replacing Enea Bastianini at Ducati. The Bologna Bullets also saw Marquez clinch his seventh straight double with Sprint and Grand Prix wins in Hungary.

It is the first time that the Cervera native has won seven straight Grands Prix since he kicked off the 2014 term with 10 on the spin for Honda. And Alex Marquez feels the Marc Marquez of Ducati is “even stronger” than his brother was at Honda, due in part to his injury in 2020.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend

Alex feels Marc now appreciates winning more than he did with Honda from 2013 to ‘23, as breaking his right arm during the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez changed his brother’s mindset. Marc endured four turbulent years after his injury before he left Honda for Gresini.

Alex said, via Marca: “It’s true that he had that setback due to injury. I said it myself, ‘If Marc was very good before, very complete, the injury and going through very difficult times have made him even better’. I was totally convinced, able to put everything together a little more.

“Within the limitations that his arm may or may not have, because he’s already used to it, from then on, I think what has made him even stronger is appreciating things more, focusing on the small details [and] not getting carried away by a winning feeling, as he did at Honda.”

Alex Marquez helped to cause Marc Marquez’s dominance by telling him to leave Honda

Marc Marquez won six MotoGP riders’ titles for Honda, with only Jorge Lorenzo in 2015 able to interrupt the Spaniard’s dominance that yielded championships in 2013, ‘14, ‘16, ‘17, ‘18 and ‘19. Had Marquez not broken his right arm at Jerez in 2020, his run may have continued.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Alex Marquez from net worth to career stats

But the violent trip through Jerez’s gravel trap derailed Marquez’s career, as he required four operations to correct his right arm after twisting his right humerus by more than 30 degrees. At the same time, Honda struggled to develop their RC213V without Marquez on their bike.

So, Alex told Marc Marquez he “needed to” break his Honda contract during the 2023 term, which the elder brother ultimately adhered to and joined Gresini for the 2024 campaign. His form on a Desmosedici GP23 then put the wheels in motion to convince Ducati to sign Marc.

Now, the best rider on the 2025 grid has the best bike with his Ducati GP25, and Marquez is running away with the championship. But back when his dominance began, Marquez stated that he would not say he is happier at Ducati than with Honda in 2019, despite his triumphs.