“Better to accept it” - Marc Marquez on MotoGP's younger generation
Marc Marquez says every athlete must eventually face a younger generation, including MotoGP's latest rising stars.
Marc Marquez says he accepts the rise of younger rivals as part of the natural cycle of sport, but responds by working even harder.
During a visit to the Catalunya Formula 1 round, Marquez was asked to compare teenage F1 title leader Kimi Antonelli with the young stars emerging in MotoGP.
"Sometimes it's better to accept it,” Marc Marquez, 33, told Sky Italia in Barcelona.
“Accept that young guys like Acosta and Aldeguer, who are 10-12 years younger, will arrive, and they have a different determination and energy; it's the natural process of an athlete.
“It happens to everyone. I try to work harder to remain tough to beat, even for the young guys."
That was certainly the case last time in Hungary, where the reigning champion took a perfect double victory from pole in only his second event since shoulder surgery to relieve a compressed nerve.
Acosta and Aldeguer joined Marquez on the front row of the grid, with Acosta providing the only victory opposition in both races.
The question now is how much fitter Marquez will be at this weekend's Brno round.
"I'm feeling better than last weekend," Marquez said of his recovery. "Winning is good for the body, it's positive energy. During the summer break, we'll try to take a step forward.”
Brno is the first of three events before that crucial summer break.
The 2026 title? "Anything can happen"
Marquez heads to the Czech Grand Prix 72 points behind Aprilia title leader Marco Bezzecchi, who was caught up in team-mate Jorge Martin's first-corner accident in Hungary.
“As a rider, I always give 100%, then we'll see, anything can happen,” Marquez said of the title fight.
“Obviously, we're not at the point where we can go on the attack right now. I need to discover what my full fitness will be and then try to give it my all."
KTM star Acosta, set to become Marquez’s Ducati team-mate next season, finished runner-up in both Balaton races and holds fourth in the world championship.
Aldeguer, a race winner in his rookie 2025 season, missed the start of this season due to a fractured femur in winter training.
His best result so far this year is a runner-up finish in Catalunya, on a year-old GP25.
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Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
