Alex Marquez revealed that midway through 2022, he faced a career crossroads, receiving “no interest” from MotoGP teams before making a bold move to join Gresini Racing for the 2023 season.
The 2014 Moto3 and 2019 Moto2 world champion had a promising MotoGP debut in 2020 with the factory Honda team, securing two podiums. However, two tough years followed with LCR Honda, leading to Marquez’s decision to switch to a year-old Ducati with Gresini.
Marquez recalled at Jerez last weekend: “I remember in 2022, at Sachsenring, half the season had gone. Everyone had contracts for the next year — except me. No teams were interested. So, I went to Gresini and said, ‘I want your bike. I don’t care about anything else. Give me one year, and let’s see.'”
The first laps on the Ducati during the Valencia test at the end of 2022 gave him immediate hope. “From that first lap, I understood the potential was there,” he said.
Though he won two sprint races in 2023, Marquez struggled with the GP23 bike, particularly with braking, managing just one full-race podium. He described that season as a “nightmare,” but now sees it as a valuable learning experience.
“Last year taught me a lot,” he admitted. “I got used to riding a bike that was a step behind the GP24. Because of that, I’m more competitive this year.”
That hard-earned growth paid off when Marquez clinched his maiden MotoGP full race victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez last Sunday. The win also propelled him to the top of the championship standings, leading by a single point over his brother, Marc Marquez.
However, when asked if the win changed his mentality regarding the title fight, Alex Marquez remained grounded: “No.”
