Alex Marquez’s celebrations over Gresini’s double podium in the Indonesian MotoGP were overshadowed by an opening-lap crash that left his brother Marc injured.
The seven-time world champion was struck from behind at the fast Turn 7 by Marco Bezzecchi, forcing Marc out of the race with damage to his right shoulder. He later revealed: “It looks like the ligaments in my collarbone are broken.”
With two title contenders sidelined, Alex’s teammate Fermin Aldeguer powered to a dominant first MotoGP victory, with Alex himself securing third behind Pedro Acosta.
“Honestly, I’m not completely happy because I saw Marc crashing, and I know that it’s not really super good,” Alex told MotoGP’s Matt Birt. “It’s life, but sometimes it’s hard to accept.”
Asked about the collision, Alex added:
“The incident is clear. Marco made a mistake. He was too optimistic to overtake, especially at that point—it’s super fast and impossible to make a move there. But I don’t want to criticise him too much because it’s normal. With 44 races including sprints, the chances of making a mistake are high. Everyone has made one this season.”
Marc was flown to Madrid on Sunday evening for further medical tests and to decide on treatment. Before leaving Mandalika, he addressed fans on social media: “Please, no hard feelings towards Marco, nobody does it on purpose.”
Aprilia boss Massimo Rivola also offered his sympathies: “First of all, our apologies go to Marquez. We’re very sorry about what happened.”
Despite the bittersweet day, Alex’s third place extends his advantage over Francesco Bagnaia to 88 points, putting him on course to complete a remarkable Marquez one-two in the 2025 world championship.
