Alex Marquez names MotoGP target in Repsol Honda colours

Alex Marquez says his main target is to be top rookie in the 2020 MotoGP world championship in his first official appearance as a Repsol Honda rider.

In the biggest MotoGP shock of 2019, Alex Marquez was named as Jorge Lorenzo’s replacement after the five-time world champion stunned the paddock when he announced he would retire from racing. The switch sees the reigning Moto2 world champion move into the same garage as his brother and current MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez.

After gaining his first experience with the Honda RC213V at the post-season Valencia and Jerez tests in November, Marquez has been revealed in the team’s colours for the first time – coinciding with the official start of his HRC contract.

Assessing the opportunity of joining the reigning MotoGP Triple Crown world champions as a debutant, Marquez accepts he has plenty to learn in a short space of time in 2020 but is already aiming to be the top rookie this season.

“I can say that I want to be the Rookie of the Year – that’s the first goal. But to put a goal about positions or something like this, right now I am focused on understanding the bike and aiming to have more feeling to build my confidence,” Marquez said.

“Before the Qatar race, I will be able to see a little better what our real position is and what we can do from the first race.

“I think for every rookie it’s a dream, or the target, to be in a factory team. After winning the Moto2 Championship your target or your wish is to be a factory rider, so this has come true for me.

“To be in the Repsol Honda Team, a team with the most history in the MotoGP paddock is an honour. I know it’s a challenge, but it’s a nice challenge. From the first moment I said I wanted this opportunity, 100% and now I try to enjoy it.”

With the 23-year-old moving into the unique situation of having his brother as his team-mate, the first time any siblings have been at the same team in MotoGP, the younger Marquez sees plenty of advantages but still wants to form “a normal situation” as both team-mates and rivals with Marc on track.

“It’s a special moment, a special year but we need to be natural and approach it like a normal situation,” Alex said. “We know we are brothers but inside the team we need to be professional, we are different riders.

“We each have our own teams, so we need to work in our own way.

“For sure for me it’s an advantage to have a six-time MotoGP World Champion in my garage because I can see a lot of data from him and see how I need to ride this Honda machine, to help find the secrets. So, I will try to take all the information from him and all the Honda riders to try and learn as much as possible.”

Alex Marquez will take on Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Iker Lecuona and Red Bull KTM’s Brad Binder for the top rookie title in MotoGP this year.