Gresini MotoGP rider Alex Marquez admits last year’s GP24 Ducati felt more natural to him, but he’s confident the newer GP26 offers greater potential for improvement despite a challenging start to the 2026 season.
The Spaniard entered the year as a pre-season title contender after securing three race wins and finishing runner-up in 2025 aboard the 2024-spec bike. That performance earned him a move to Ducati’s latest factory-spec machinery.
However, after three rounds, Marquez sits eighth in the standings, with a best result of sixth at the Brazilian Grand Prix—far from his 2025 form, when he consistently finished second in both sprints and main races and briefly led the championship.
While Ducati has struggled early on, Aprilia has surged ahead, with Marco Bezzecchi winning all three races so far. Even so, Marquez remains calm and sees room to unlock the GP26’s full potential rather than raising concerns.
