Alex Marquez responds to claims 'you don’t attack Marc in the same way’

After finishing runner-up to brother Marc for the twelfth time in a race this season, at Mugello, Alex Marquez again dismissed suggestions he is holding anything back.

Riding last year’s GP24 vs Marc's factory GP25, Alex is enjoying by far the best year of his premier-class career, already celebrating six grand prix podiums, including victory at Jerez, plus nine Sprint rostrums.

He has outscored Marc three times this season - after the #93’s mistakes at COTA and Jerez, then in a head-to-head at Silverstone, where he broke his brother’s perfect Sprint run.

Mugello was expected to be another victory opportunity for Alex, who excels in fast and flowing corners.

After calmly watching Marc and factory team-mate Francesco Bagnaia duel fiercely in the early laps, Alex duly hit the front and tried to pull away.

But he was caught and passed by Marc after just three laps and went on to finish 1.9s behind at the chequered flag.

Although he has slipped 40 points behind Marc in the MotoGP standings, meaning Marc will still be on top whatever happens this weekend at Assen, Alex extended his advantage over Bagnaia to 70 points in the battle for runner-up.

“To fight for the championship with a guy like Marc is never easy,” Alex said. “He’s on the factory bike. We can’t forget that I’m in an independent team with last year’s bike.

“It’s always tough to fight with him. The strongest point for me is to be constant and to make no mistakes. 

"As I said, when I have the opportunity to beat him or to win, I will try for it, as I try every race.”

Alex Marquez: "When he’s faster, you can’t!"

Directly addressing the suggestion that he races Marc more cautiously than others, Alex made clear that pace alone determines if he can attack.

“People are saying, ‘you don’t attack him in the same way’. When he’s faster, you can’t!

“You attack the riders in front if they are slower. If they are faster, you don’t have the opportunity to overtake them.

“I will try my best. I will try to make my championship. I will try to be there every weekend and do my job.

“Later on, we will see what the result will be.”

Francesco Bagnaia: "It's like I'm doing with the Academy riders"

Bagnaia described the on-track situation between Marc and Alex as “normal” and drew parallels between his tight-knit relationship with the other VR46 Academy riders.

“It's clear that Alex takes more care about what he's doing with his brother, but it's something normal, like I'm doing with the Academy riders. So it's normal that it's like this,” he said.

While some fans might expect even more, Alex’s season is drawing praise from fellow riders such as KTM’s Pedro Acosta, who said that both Marquez brothers are a step ahead of the rest.

“First of all, I want to say thanks to Pedro if he said this,” Alex responded.
“It’s always a pleasure from a really good rider that they say this. I just try to make my job in the best way that I can. I just try to give my 100%.

“So I’m the same Alex Marquez like always. I try to work. I try to do the things in a really good way. I have a good package. All the things are there to make a good season.”

Alex outqualified Marc as Gresini team-mate at Assen last season, was ahead of his brother when he fell early in the Sprint, but finished behind the #93 in the grand prix, until a post-race tyre pressure penalty.