Alex Marquez’s MotoGP career was once on the brink of collapse. Without the full confidence shown by Gresini Racing, Marc Marquez’s younger brother may never have experienced the best season of his career.
The 2025 MotoGP season marked a major turning point for Alex Marquez. While his brother Marc dominated the championship, Alex delivered consistent performances and firmly established himself as second best in the final standings.
That success nearly never happened. Gresini Racing team owner Nadia Padovani revealed that Alex’s future in MotoGP was extremely uncertain before he joined the team in 2023.
Speaking to Moto.it, Padovani explained that Alex felt his MotoGP journey was close to ending after his separation from LCR Honda. Gresini then stepped in with an opportunity that effectively saved his career.
According to Padovani, Alex believed that without Gresini’s decision to sign him for 2023, he could have fallen behind and lost his place in MotoGP altogether. The team placed strong trust in him, and Alex, in turn, trusted his own ability.
That decision gradually paid off. Alex showed rapid development, particularly after spending a full season racing alongside his brother. Padovani noted that sharing the grid with Marc played a key role in Alex’s growth and racing maturity.
By closely observing Marc, Alex learned valuable lessons. Those improvements became clear last season and fully translated into results in 2025, producing what Padovani described as an outstanding campaign.
Alex’s 2025 statistics supported that view. Riding year-old Ducati machinery, he finished runner-up in the world championship with three grand prix victories, 12 podium finishes, and one pole position. Those results made him the most consistent challenger to Marc Marquez throughout the season.
His performances earned him a major reward from Ducati, which will provide him with factory-spec equipment for the following season. It marks the first time in his MotoGP career that Alex has been given machinery equal to the official factory riders.
Although there was speculation about pairing the Marquez brothers in the same Ducati factory garage, internal sources suggest this was never seriously considered. Ducati believes a direct rivalry between siblings could disrupt team balance.
Now, Alex Marquez is widely viewed as a leading contender for the 2026 MotoGP title. From being close to losing his place in the championship, he has risen to the front of the grid, all sparked by a bold decision from Gresini Racing that reshaped his career.
