Alex Marquez “not riding free” amid MotoGP 2025’s last big battle
Alex Marquez wants to sew up second in the MotoGP standings as soon as possible
Gresini Ducati’s Alex Marquez admits he is “not riding free” as he pushes to seal runner-up spot in the 2025 MotoGP standings over Pecco Bagnaia in the final rounds of the season.
The 29-year-old has his first opportunity to secure his best ever MotoGP championship position this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix.
Currently leading factory Ducati counterpart Pecco Bagnaia by 88 points, Alex Marquez can wrap up runner-up spot in the standings if he leaves Phillip Island 111 points ahead.
The double grand prix winner is looking to get this done as soon as possible as he feels he is “not riding free” with his championship position still hanging over his head.
“In the end, in the last races, also playing in the championship against Marc [Marquez], who won the title,” Alex Marquez said on Thursday at Phillip Island.
“And again in Indonesia, fighting for second position, it’s not easy. You are not riding free on the bike.
“You are not always pushing. You are pushing, but always taking a little bit of care.
“So, for that reason, I want to close the second position as soon as possible to be relaxed but especially to ride in a really good way as we did in the beginning of the season.
“So, this will be a good target. But we have to go weekend by weekend. Now we have the Australian GP and it’s a really good track for me.
“We need to be fast to make a good result on Sunday.”
More possibilities to win Australian Grand Prix in Marc Marquez’s absence
With Marc Marquez ruled out of the Australian Grand Prix due to injury, there is a sense that this weekend’s Phillip Island round is the most wide open of the season.
Alex Marquez concurs but is still expecting the likes of Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi - who has a penalty to serve due to a collision with Marc Marquez in Indonesia - and Pecco Bagnaia to figure at the sharp end.
“Especially when Marc is here, when you go to a track that is left-handed that’s already a large percentage of possibilities you lose to win,” he added.
“So, he’s not here and it will open a lot all of those possibilities for the win.
“I’m expecting Bezzecchi to be really fast here with the Aprilia, also Pecco again.
“I think Fermin [Aldeguer] can be fast here; he was in the past in Moto2.
“So, it will be interesting to see where the people are.
“Everybody is getting closer at the end of the season. It will be interesting. We need to make things in a really good way to not have problems on Sunday.”
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