Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez sealed his seventh MotoGP championship and ninth career title at the Japanese Grand Prix. But there was one notable absentee from the Ducati celebrations.
Alex Marquez has been Marc Marquez’s closest competitor in 2025, with the former enjoying his best season in the premier class to date. Riding the GP24 with Gresini, the 29-year-old has flourished, displaying incredible consistency in the early stages.
He led the championship at one stage after winning his first MotoGP race at Jerez. Alex beat Marc at the Catalan GP for his second win, but by then, his title chances were all but over.
Several accidents and mistakes have hampered the Gresini rider, with him breaking his left hand in a crash at Assen. Ultimately, Alex conceded defeat to Marc, with the Ant of Cervera winning the title at Motegi.
It marked an incredible comeback from the 32-year-old, who has struggled immensely with injury in recent years. Marc Marquez told Ducati mechanics they were ‘perfect’ this season as celebrations were in full swing, but his brother was not present’ for the first time’.
Alex Marquez didn’t celebrate with Marc Marquez because his mission ‘is not yet complete’
Speaking to Motorsport Espana, Alex Marquez recalled how Marc had invited him to celebrate after winning his seventh premier class title, but he wanted to rest. He told his brother that his ‘mission’ was not complete and he needed to focus on the next race in Indonesia.
Davide Tardozzi told Marc he can ‘have fun’ for the rest of the season and focus on 2026 in winter testing. But for Alex, he still has to fight for second and he will only celebrate once that has been achieved.
“For the first time, I didn’t celebrate with him. I think he called me and it was already eight o’clock. I was having a quiet dinner at my hotel and just thinking about going to bed,” he explained.
“I told him that he had already completed his mission, but mine is not yet complete. Now Indonesia is coming up, and I needed to rest. When my mission is accomplished, we’ll celebrate together, and we’ll enjoy it more.
“It changes things a lot because it’s my first year that he’s won the title while I’m in MotoGP, which is why I wasn’t at the celebration on the track, but mainly because we have a race this weekend.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Alex Marquez from net worth to career stats
Alex Marquez is focused on beating Francesco Bagnaia for second place in 2025
Francesco Bagnaia dominated at Motegi to claim his second win of the season and his first double victory of 2025. The Italian finally looked comfortable on the GP25 after Ducati made radical changes to the bike.
It is believed that the team went back to GP24 parts, but Bagnaia is staying tight-lipped on bike changes. Whatever was introduced gave him the feeling he had lacked this season, and he is now back in the race for P2 in the standings.
Despite his resurgence, Alex Marquez is not worried about Bagnaia. He is fully focused on himself for the final five races, with there being 66 points between the two riders.
A strong end to the season will put the Spaniard in good standing for 2026, where he will receive factory machinery. Marquez Jr will certainly look to take the opportunity with both hands and challenge his brother on the same bike.
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