Alex Marquez reveals what he ‘convinced’ himself about after Marco Bezzecchi battle in Australian GP

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Gresini rider Alex Marquez admits he “had to suffer” in the 2025 MotoGP Australian Grand Prix, before Aprilia rival Marco Bezzecchi joined him on track at Phillip Island.

Bezzecchi overcame a double long lap penalty to claim third place on Sunday, as Trackhouse rival Raul Fernandez won the Australian GP for his first MotoGP race win. VR46 star Fabio Di Giannantonio rounded out the podium in P2 with a 1.418s deficit to Fernandez after 27 laps.

Marquez ultimately had to settle for fourth place in the Australian GP, having hoped to launch an attack on Fernandez of his own. The Gresini ace hit the chequered flag 3.715s adrift of his Spanish compatriot, and also 1.305s behind Bezzecchi of Aprilia in the final podium position.

Bezzecchi served a double long lap penalty in the Australian GP owing to his crash with Marc Marquez in the Indonesian Grand Prix, which ruled the Ducati racer out at Phillip Island. The 2025 riders’ champion will also miss at least the Malaysian Grand Prix with a shoulder injury.

Marco Bezzecchi made Alex Marquez accept a P4 finish in the 2025 Australian Grand Prix

Alex Marquez emerged as Fernandez’s main rival on Lap 16 of 27 after the 29-year-old took P2 away from KTM’s Pedro Acosta, albeit 3.028s behind the Trackhouse rider. But Marquez was only able to take a few tenths out of the deficit before Di Giannantonio took P2 on L23.

READ MORE: 2025 Australian Grand Prix results, as Raul Fernandez scores first MotoGP win

Di Giannantonio lunged down Marquez’s inside at the Hayshed and instantly pulled away in his pursuit of Fernandez. Bezzecchi also then made his move on Marquez at Turn 10 on the penultimate lap, which convinced the latter to tell himself to accept P4 in the Australian GP.

Marquez knew his hard front and medium rear tyres did not have the life to fight Bezzecchi, let alone also react to Di Giannantonio’s attack, after trying to go with Fernandez. Only LCR Honda rider Somkiat Chantra took a gamble with his tyres by starting on the medium front.

He said, via Motorsport.com: “When I got into second place, I warmed up to go after Raul. I tried to chase him down, instead of conserving the tyres a little longer. Then I had to suffer.

“Seeing Diggia and Bezzecchi coming in, I convinced myself that today was the day to finish fourth. I’m at peace with myself because I gave it my all, and now we’re going to Sepang, where we should be going fast if all goes well.”

Alex Marquez missed his chance to secure P2 in the 2025 MotoGP riders’ championship

Gresini ace Marquez had a chance to secure P2 in the 2025 MotoGP riders’ championship at the Australian GP if he left with a 111-point lead over the third-place rider, which was Ducati racer Francesco Bagnaia. Instead, Marquez left with a 97-point advantage over Bezzecchi.

Bezzecchi won the Phillip Island Sprint Race this Saturday, when Marquez only managed P6 on his Ducati GP24 with a 6.109s deficit to the Aprilia rider. The Italian’s P3 in the Australian GP to the Spaniard’s P4 also saw him further reduce a deficit that was 108 points on Friday.

But Bezzecchi will need to outscore Marquez by at least 20 points at next week’s Malaysian GP to prevent him from securing P2 in the championship at Sepang. The Gresini racer only has to have a 74-point lead ahead of the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao to wrap up P2.