Marco Bezzecchi
Alex Marquez had a difficult start to the 2026 MotoGP season, and he’s been warned by former MotoGP team boss Francesco Guidotti about the ‘expectations’ that he must adhere to now that he is racing atop factory Ducati machinery.
Alex Marquez was one of the breakout stars of last year’s MotoGP campaign. In a term that saw him secure his first premier class victory, the Spaniard stunned everybody by emerging as somewhat of a title contender and eventually claiming the runners-up spot in the riders’ championship.
Predict the order of the Ducati riders in the 2026 MotoGP standings
His elder brother, Marc Marquez, proved to be in a league of his own, of course, but the uptick in performances that were on display from the Gresini star proved to be enough for Alex Marquez to be rewarded with a factory bike for the 2026 MotoGP season.
However, with greater power comes greater responsibility, and Francesco Guidotti has warned the 29-year-old that Ducati’s expectations for him are a lot greater for him now that he has a factory prototype underneath him.
- READ MORE: Who is Gresini Racing’s Alex Marquez? Everything you need to know from net worth to career stats
Alex Marquez must adhere to higher expectations in 2026, says Francesco Guidotti
In a recent interview with Speedweek, former KTM team boss Guidotti assessed Ducati’s performance at the 2026 season-opener in Thailand and issued a warning to Alex Marquez ahead of the rest of the Spaniard’s first year with factory machinery.
He began by praising the efforts of the VR46 duo Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli, who ended the race as the Italian constructor’s leading riders in P6 and P8, respectively.
He said, “The VR46 riders were also right there in terms of speed. Only the results didn’t reflect that. [Di Giannantonio] also had a minor technical problem that held him back, and Morbidelli, starting from 19th place after a very poor start, put in one of his best races – the pace of both was competitive.”
Alex Marquez, on the other hand, failed to finish the race after crashing out on lap 21. The DNF followed a P11 in Saturday’s Sprint race, meaning that the Spaniard currently sits at the bottom of the MotoGP standings without a point to his name.
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In his assessment of the Gresini star’s first race weekend as a factory-supported rider, Guidotti said, “I don’t think the ‘Alex case’ is quite that simple. He started out under very different circumstances to 2025.
“Back then, nobody had him on their radar and he was free to race as he pleased – every race was a good one in terms of his approach.
“That has changed. Now there are expectations because of the factory’s support – in Thailand, that ended with him ending up in the gravel.”
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