MotoGP championship leader Marc Marquez has hailed his younger brother, Alex Marquez, as “one of the toughest opponents” he’s ever faced, following a thrilling start to the 2025 season.
Alex Marquez is enjoying a career-best campaign, with a grand prix win at Jerez, five additional Sunday podiums, a sprint win at Silverstone, and eight second-place finishes. After nine rounds, he trails Marc by just 40 points in the championship standings.
Marc Marquez, who completed a dominant double victory last weekend at Mugello — his first win at the track since 2014 — acknowledged how closely Alex has been able to follow him throughout the season.
“I’m in one of the best moments of my career, and Alex is still there with me,” Marc said after his 93rd grand prix win. “He’s super consistent, super-fast, and rides with great balance across every circuit. That makes him one of the toughest opponents I’ve had in my career.”
Despite riding a previous-spec Ducati with Gresini, Alex has kept pace with the factory bike riders, including Marc, who benefits from the latest upgrades.
“As a factory rider, you have the pressure to fight for the championship — especially on a Ducati. But Alex, with last year’s bike, is still pushing hard and staying close. It says a lot about his performance this season,” Marc added.
The older Marquez has battled many great rivals over the years — including Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa, and Andrea Dovizioso — but now finds his toughest challenge coming from within his own family.
Last weekend at Mugello marked several major milestones for the 32-year-old: a 100th career pole position and his symbolic 93rd career GP win — the same venue where he claimed his first win 15 years ago in the 125cc class.
Marc also matched Pecco Bagnaia’s record of five double victories in a single season during the sprint era, underscoring the dominance he’s shown in 2025.
