The MotoGP 2025 championship is heading towards its natural conclusion, amid winners and losers, surprises and confirmations. The ones who wrote the rules, however, were undoubtedly the two Marquez brothers, who monopolized the top spots, writing a chapter in the history of the sport. Never before had two brothers fought with points for the title, finishing the season one after the other in the top positions.
Marc wrapped up proceedings during the Motegi weekend, establishing his supremacy with a full five races to spare. On the other hand, his brother Alex, who joked recently that he was "the first of the losers," had to wait until the Malaysian GP to mathematically conclude "his mission." It was the youngest of the Marquez brothers who took the floor at an Estrella Galicia event attended by AS and Marca, an opportunity to take stock of an incredible and top-level season for the Spaniard and the Marquez family.
"I'm happy, I'm a very joking guy and I said that I was the first of the losers," Alex began, "but it was in any case winning something (laughs). If I compare the feeling I had when I won the other two titles in the minor classes to the feeling I have this year, it is very similar. Sharing successes with family is the best thing that can happen to you, and without a doubt this was the most special moment of the year."
It's not easy sharing the garage with Marc, many give in, you did and now you have shown the best version of yourself.
"We saw the best version this year, but every year you are a little bit better, that's why we saw the best version this season. Every problem has made me more competitive, so we have to keep improving and see what our limit is."
In 2026 you will again face up to your brother Marc, but this time with the same weapons because you will have a factory Ducati at your disposal in the Gresini team.
"There are many factors that can change in one year and make you go from the top to the bottom. I've always said it's very difficult to beat Marc in 22 races. As a rival, the pressure he puts on you is very difficult to accept. His belief in going to the limit is the key. But no one is out of reach. Let's see what will happen with the same bike. Next year I will accept the pressure of fighting for the title until the end. It's normal, but changing approach would be a mistake."
Life alongside Marc has taught me the virtue of observing and learning from him
"There are two ways to deal with Marc: either you're jealous and say 'okay, he can do it but I will get there,' which somehow means you don't want to pay attention to him because you believe you have the potential to do it. The other is saying 'he's better, he's doing better, I'll watch him, I'll learn from him and I won't have that resentment.' I think that's the virtue that surely life has taught me from being by Marc's side. Having someone so good by your side makes you not have that suspicion and makes you pay attention to him. That's why last year I came out strengthened by the situation we had in the pits, also because we had some limitations with the bike; all of this strengthened us a lot as a team."
Part of the credit for your success also goes to Team Gresini.
"When they saw that Nadia wanted to continue, no one took the team seriously without a figure like Fausto. But Nadia makes everything very easy and that's something that gives the rider a lot of peace of mind. With results and work they've made people realize that it is a very competitive team, very serious and that very good things can be done in there."
The future? I'm not thinking about status
With a good 2026, the doors of an official team could open.
"I don't think about status. I'm not interested in having a contract with Ducati or Gresini, the important thing was to have the factory bike. There will be no change in that sense. So I don't see it as a test for 2027 by Ducati. Rather, I see it as a test for myself, because I know I will have the maximum. For the future so we will see what happens in 2027 because the contracts will open. It will be interesting to see the movements. I will never talk about the others while I am at Gresini, because of the opportunity they gave me. But from experience, I can lead a project, but they are just words."
When second place in the standings was made official, Marc was the first to congratulate his brother directly by video call.
"When Marc called me on Saturday in Malaysia while I was on the sprint podium, I told him, 'I owe you a party and you owe me for today.' In Japan I didn't go and celebrate his title because I had to complete my mission, but now we have to experience it together. It's hard to realize the magnitude of what we have accomplished when you live in a moment like this. What we have achieved is something you could not imagine even in your best dreams. You can dream, have goals, even when it gets a little more serious, in the Spanish Championship, say, 'We hope to race together.' In 2014 we said, 'This is something unrepeatable.' It was repeated in 2019, and at that time it even seemed impossible. Now, after five years, it's icing on the cake, but we hope the cake will get bigger. I think we will realize it in a decade or so, when we are quietly sitting on the couch at home. Then we will be aware of the magnitude of this moment."
Marc is now facing a long recovery from the injury for which he will also miss the Valencia tests, a coracoid fracture associated with a rupture of the acromioclavicular ligaments.
"His recovery is going well. I've seen little of him since I came back, because he's all day busy between physiotherapy, hyperbaric chamber, as we could see the other day with what he posted.... He is up and down all day. We see each other more when we play Playstation and we usually play "Call of Duty" from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. But the reality is that he is calm, he has done everything he can. He knows that he can recover in the time frame indicated by the doctors."
The gauntlet for 2026 is thus thrown down, all that remains to do is wait.
"I accept the fact that both of us will have the pressure to fight for the title until the end. I'm improving that explosiveness that Marc has, which is what gave him the titles."