Marc Marquez has fired back at claims suggesting his MotoGP rivals are not racing him aggressively enough after securing a hard-fought win at the Dutch Grand Prix. With three consecutive sprint and Grand Prix doubles, the Ducati rider now holds a commanding 68-point lead in the standings.
Following tight races with Alex Marquez in the sprint and Marco Bezzecchi in the main race, Marc Marquez called for respect toward his competitors, expressing frustration at suggestions that other riders are going easy on him—particularly his brother Alex.
In the latest Crash MotoGP Podcast, senior journalist Lewis Duncan addressed the criticism, arguing that the realities of modern MotoGP machinery limit overtaking opportunities more than people realize.
“These bikes are difficult to race with,” Duncan explained. “Aero packages, front tyre pressure, and narrow track layouts like Assen make clean overtakes incredibly tough. Riders used to take bigger risks, especially when the sprint format was new, but that led to a spike in crashes. Now, they’re more calculated.”
He continued: “Qualifying is critical. If you’re ahead early, you’re in a good position. Overtaking, especially on a track like Assen, has become more about precision than aggression. It’s not that Alex or Bezzecchi weren’t trying—there just weren’t many real chances.”
Duncan also defended Alex Marquez’s approach, noting that as a title contender himself, Alex couldn’t afford unnecessary risk.
“If he crashes while trying to overtake Marc and loses points, the gap only widens. He has to be smart. Consistency over desperation is the key to mounting a championship challenge.”
Podcast host Jordan Moreland added that Marc Marquez’s tactical awareness is another reason why rivals struggle to overtake him.
“Marc knows how to control races. In the sprint, he positioned his bike so Alex couldn’t get by in the fast sectors, despite being quicker. It’s not that others aren’t racing hard—it’s that Marc is racing smarter.”
Marquez’s combination of experience, precision, and mental strength, especially after recovering from early crashes in the weekend, continues to separate him from the rest of the grid. The criticism, many argue, ignores the complexity of modern MotoGP racing and underestimates the efforts of his rivals.
