Marco Bezzecchi
Alex Marquez took his time to find his feet in MotoGP, but after years of struggle and pressure to perform, he finally found it with Gresini.
Winning the Moto2 title in 2019, the Spaniard was thrust into the Repsol Honda team alongside his brother Marc Marquez, who had just won his sixth MotoGP championship. Alex Marquez was immediately under pressure to live up to his reputation.
Marc thinks Alex views his surname as a ‘burden’ because of the expectation to match his success. It seemed to affect the younger Marquez brother, as he struggled desperately in his debut season with Honda in 2020.
Finishing 14th in the standings, he was demoted to LCR Honda and scored just 120 points in his two seasons with the team. In 2023, Alex Marquez decided to switch manufacturers and headed for Ducati, the dominant force of MotoGP.
Linking up with Gresini, not many would have expected the upturn in form he would show. He scored two podiums in 2023 and finished ninth in the standings, before going better in 2024 with eighth, and even better in 2025.
Nadia Padovani proves Gresini is the perfect environment for Alex Marquez in MotoGP
Neil Hodgson thought Marquez would be ‘fifth or sixth’ in 2025, but he would be proved very wrong. Riding the GP24, arguably the greatest MotoGP bike ever made, the Gresini rider scored 12 podiums, three of those being wins, his first in the premier class.
The 29-year-old displayed remarkable consistency, finishing second in the opening seven races, including Sprints. He found a winning momentum, which ultimately guided Marquez to second in the standings.
A huge factor in this was the environment around him at Gresini. Team owner Nadia Padovani told La Gazzetta dello Sport that the team’s ‘cheerful’ atmosphere does not put pressure on their riders.
Should Alex Marquez stay at Gresini beyond 2026?
“We have very good professionals working on the team,” she said. “People who bring out the best in both the rider and the bike. At the same time, we’re cheerful, happy, and don’t put pressure on anyone: I think our family-like way of managing things is a winning one.
“And yes, having a woman managing everything is important, I think. We’ve created a great, peaceful environment. A woman is more empathetic with people, more maternal with the riders, who are ultimately the same age as my children.
“I can tell with just a glance if something’s wrong: I’m attentive to people, available. Yes, come on, I’m a bit like the MotoGP mom.”
Gresini are absolutely the perfect team environment for Alex Marquez, as they give him the freedom to express himself and have turned him into a race winner. A factory Ducati seat could be on the cards in the future, but he already has the right team around him.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Alex Marquez from net worth to career stats
Alex Marquez keeps coming up in the running for a factory Ducati seat, but will he take it?
Following his success in 2025, Alex Marquez is now a ‘very serious’ option for Ducati in 2027. The MotoGP market is set to change drastically, with several riders out of contract in 2026.
Alex Marquez’s name ‘keeps coming up’ as an option for Ducati in the MotoGP paddock, along with Fermin Aldeguer, Fabio Quartararo and Pedro Acosta. Francesco Bagnaia is under pressure to keep his seat in 2026 after a torrid 2025 campaign.
A strong season next year could put the Spaniard in a position to join the factory team. However, Marquez might not want to take the offer if it comes to him.
Marquez is happy at Gresini and does not view joining the factory Ducati team as a necessity. This is a direct contrast to his brother, who was desperate to move to the team in 2025 to become a world champion again.
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