Marco Bezzecchi
A former rival of Marc Marquez’s, Alvaro Bautista, has questioned the level of the current MotoGP grid following the Spaniard’s return to the top last season.
After it became clear that Marc Marquez would be a factory rider for the most dominant constructor in recent years, Ducati, everyone knew that a potential seventh MotoGP title would be in the cards for the Ant of Cervera.
However, no one quite expected Marquez to dominate in the fashion he did, not even Andrea Dovizioso, someone who is very aware of how formidable the 32-year-old is.
In fact, MotoGP fans shared their dismay with Francesco Bagnaia following Marquez’s clinching of the title at Motegi.
They were expecting a fierce battle between the factory Ducati counterparts, but the end result was far from it.
- READ MORE: Marc Marquez’s dominance at Ducati has shown exactly what’s wrong with MotoGP ‘these days’
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Alvaro Bautista says the level of MotoGP’s previous era was ‘very high’ compared to now
During an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ducati World Superbikes star Alvaro Bautista touched upon the current calibre of the MotoGP grid compared to when he was in the premier class during the height of Marquez’s peak.
He initially began by highlighting the step up in development that Honda’s rivals had made during the Spaniard’s absence from racing during his injury nightmare.
Bautista then noted how Marquez’s return signified that he is “always competitive”, before adding, “This means two things: he’s incredibly performing, and the level in the seasons when I raced in MotoGP alongside him, Rossi, and Lorenzo was very high.”
Then asked if that MotoGP era housed a higher level than the current crop, Bautista replied, “Last year, Marc won the World Championship with five Grands Prix to spare.
“Before that, however, he’d clinch the title in the last two races. And he wasn’t dominant. In 2025, he almost seemed to be toying with his rivals when it came to managing front tyre pressure.
“He had everything under control, whereas before, he was always on the limit. This means that the level of the previous era was very high; there were many strong riders.”
MotoGP journalist Mat Oxley previously shared a similar sentiment, noting that he finds it difficult to take the premier class seriously when Marquez is absent from the grid, due to the Ant of Cervera being widely regarded as the benchmark for every other rider.
- READ MORE: Marco Bezzecchi refuses to believe Marc Marquez is ‘invincible’ despite 2025 MotoGP dominance
Predict the order of the Ducati riders in the 2026 MotoGP standings
Fabio Quartararo has defended the competitiveness of the MotoGP grid during his 2021 title feat
Due to Marquez’s rise back to dominance last year, Fabio Quartararo felt the need to defend his 2021 world title after concerns arose regarding the competitiveness of the premier class grid in his absence.
After the Spaniard secured six championships between his rookie campaign in 2013 and 2019, MotoGP saw four new world champions crowned in the following years, with Bagnaia serving as the only rider to claim multiple titles.
Quartararo has long since tried to add another premier class crown to his trophy cabinet, but the calibre of Yamaha’s machinery in recent years has made life difficult for him.
The Frenchman has decided to look for greener pastures, with it recently emerging that Quartararo has finalised a deal to sign for Honda upon the conclusion of the upcoming term.
Honda’s current trajectory has them on an incline, but it remains to be seen how the new regulations for the 2027 MotoGP season will affect their recent development efforts.
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