Alex Marquez factory Ducati question posed: “This paddock is brutal”

A question was posed at the Spanish MotoGP about Alex Marquez’s worthiness of a factory Ducati spot.

The coveted red bikes are contracted to his brother Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia until the end of next year.

Yet it is Alex, on a year-old Ducati from the Gresini satellite project, who leads the 2025 MotoGP standings after five rounds.

Alex sailed to victory at last weekend’s grand prix in Jerez, after his brother’s crash.

It was the second time this year Marc had endured a costly fall from a grand prix where he looked likely to win.

The consistency and reliability of his younger sibling on inferior machinery was enough to gather the points necessary to top the standings - and create a talking point about his value to Ducati.

TNT Sports’ Suzi Perry asked afterwards: “At what point, because this paddock is brutal, do people start to say: maybe Alex should be in the full factory team alongside his brother Marc?”

Michael Laverty answered: “Pecco is still not happy. [The Jerez test was] a big day for him.

“Alex has such a good package. Pecco needs something to be able to fight.

“He can perhaps accept Marc, as an eight-time champion, coming in and stealing the headlines. But for Alex to do it? That’s a bigger knife in the side for Pecco career-wise.”

Bagnaia was only 19th-fastest at Monday’s Jerez test but came away with “two things” he hoped would spearhead his title challenge.

Bagnaia re-tested parts that his teammate Marquez has been using all season, which the Italian removed from his bike because he was unhappy with them at the pre-season Thailand test.

Bagnaia didn’t name the crucial parts but insisted he would bring ammunition to next week’s Le Mans round.

'Stars have aligned' for Alex Marquez

Alex Marquez is one point clear of his brother at the summit of MotoGP, and 20 clear of Bagnaia.

“Alex has stepped out of Marc’s shadow this year. When they were teammates, Marc was stronger, Alex’s style didn’t click with the GP23,” Laverty analysed.

“This year, the stars have aligned. He has got the lead status in his team with Fermi Aldeguer, a rookie, alongside him.

“It’s a great squad around him, a family-run environment, and it has allowed him to flourish.

“He is still very modest in his expectations. He is still not aggressive enough with his brother. But with anyone else, he’s ultra aggressive. He’s a demon on the brakes.

“It’s all coming together for Alex career-wise.”

Sylvain Guintoli noted how Alex is campaigning with older machinery than his brother, Bagnaia and Fabio di Giannantonio.

“It’s a good Ducati, though, a great package,” Guintoli said.

“He is out-performing the VR46 boys, and Bagnaia who is on the factory Ducati.

“Alex is putting together a great campaign. He was super fast on the GP24 as soon as he made the switch, and he hasn’t looked back.

“He is gutsy, he takes the risk, he goes for gaps. The race he did was brilliant, he went hard at the start. He had more pace than Bagnaia.”