Marco Bezzecchi
Alex Marquez enjoyed his best MotoGP season in 2025 with Gresini, yet he was still playing second fiddle to his brother, Marc Marquez.
That is something the Spaniard has had to put up with his entire career. He joined the premier class after his brother had won his sixth MotoGP title, which suddenly put pressure on him to live up to the Marquez name and legacy.
Alex Marquez suffered a dismal rookie season at Honda in 2020, the same year Marc Marquez sustained a near-career-ending injury at Jerez. After two more years at LCR, he moved to Ducati with satellite team Gresini.
There, he began to establish himself as a strong competitor. Marquez’s mother wanted Alex to win the title in 2025 as it would disprove the narrative that he made it to MotoGP because of his name, rather than his talent.
While he did not win the title, the 29-year-old still made history as Alex Marquez secured P2 in the championship, with three wins and 12 podiums. Yet despite this, he still feels undervalued by Ducati.
Alex Marquez admits he has felt undervalued ‘many times’ at Ducati compared to Marc Marquez
Speaking via the BENZINE // Cosimo Curatola YouTube channel, the Gresini rider discussed how people would discredit his achievements because of his bike or his fellow Ducati riders.
Asked if he has felt undervalued, Marquez said: “Yes, many times yes. And many times I hear the comment that: ‘No, making the podium because he has a Ducati’, or, ‘OK, where are the other Ducatis?’
“And that’s a bit… So it’s a normal thing in the end. Underrated, it may be, in the end, it’s normal. If you compare me to Marc and I’m less valued, but because he’s a top rider, if not the greatest in history, one of the greatest there.
“I don’t want to make comparisons between different eras, so yes, a little bit, but in the end, I think that this year people who understand, that the people in the paddock have seen what they are capable of and that’s an important thing.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Alex Marquez from net worth to career stats
Could Alex Marquez join the factory Ducati team one day?
Ducati’s bosses may be starting to take notice of the Gresini rider. This is evidenced by Alex Marquez having a factory bike in 2026, putting him on equal machinery with his brother.
Marc Marquez has proven almost impossible to beat on the same bike throughout his career. His brother seems to know that, as Alex Marquez is happy finishing second in 2026, but while that may seem like a lack of ambition, another season like 2025 could put him in the frame for a factory seat.
Francesco Bagnaia is facing pressure from the Borgo Panigale outfit to get a new contract in 2027. Alex Marquez is happy at Gresini and the atmosphere he has around him, but an open door at Ducati could tempt him.
However, Marc Marquez says he is unlikely to partner with Alex at a factory outfit anytime soon. Their time at Gresini in 2024 may be the last time the brothers are teammates in MotoGP.
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