At the Goiânia GP, Álex Márquez demonstrated progress on his Ducati, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with his brother Marc. Despite his efforts, he remains outpaced by more competitive riders. As the championship heats up, expectations are higher.
Mixed Results on the Track
While he was the only rider able to keep up with Marc Márquez a year ago, Álex Márquez now finds himself trailing his older brother, despite riding the same Ducati this season. At the Thailand GP, he had already expressed difficulties adapting to the handling of the Desmosedici GP26, particularly at the front. This inability to adjust has hindered him in corners and left him behind in Goiânia, where he couldn’t contend for top positions.
Weekend of Ups and Downs
Qualifying eighth, the Spaniard finished in the same position during the sprint. The next day, he made a decent start with a Ducati adorned in the colors of the Honda Gresini team, but despite overtaking Pedro Acosta, Ai Ogura passed him in the final lap, denying him a top 5 finish. Nevertheless, Márquez took the weekend with optimism.
“It seems like we’ve found a bit of a way to do things, to ride this bike,” he confides. “I felt a bit more comfortable, I could attack a bit more and defend myself better in many parts of the race. I just rode better. It wasn’t a bad race.”
Improving Feel on the Bike
Even though he couldn’t compete with his brother or Fabio Di Giannantonio, who battled for the podium on the same bike, Álex Márquez is satisfied with the progress made over the weekend. “It wasn’t a bad race for us. We just tried to survive, especially with the front tire that degraded a lot [on Saturday] and was hard to manage. We did some good things. I just tried to stay calm and see the finish with [a tire still] alive.”
He also emphasizes: “We achieved the best position possible. I did my best. I think I’ve made progress in my feel and in riding this bike.” For him, the road ahead is long and requires particular attention to Ducati’s overall performance against rivals like Aprilia, who have made significant strides this year.
Seeking Greater Competitiveness
For Álex Márquez, improvements need to come primarily from the machine itself rather than just personal feel: “I wish it were just about the feel.” This statement highlights the challenge he faces: adapting to a bike that doesn’t allow him to fully express his potential.
Notable Overtake by Ogura
In the final lap, Ai Ogura executed a bold overtake on Álex Márquez that left the latter with no response. Although he had to accept defeat on that move, he praised the Japanese rider’s performance: “In the last lap, Ogura passed me with a very nice block-pass, but it was really good on his part, honestly.”
Márquez acknowledges that it was an aggressive maneuver: “It was quite aggressive, there was contact, but in the last lap, that’s how it goes.” Far from being discouraged by this fierce competition, he maintains a positive outlook on his performances.
Additionally, he had to contend with a challenging circuit in Goiânia where the asphalt deteriorated under the weight of the bikes. Stones even struck his left arm during the race, adding another layer of difficulty to an already complex challenge.
In Summary
- Álex Márquez continues to find his footing on his Ducati.
- He shows notable progress despite inconsistent performances.
- The Spanish rider remains positive about his adaptation.
- Ai Ogura snatched a position from him in the final lap with an effective maneuver.
- Ducati needs to ramp up efforts to stay competitive against Aprilia.
