Alex Marquez impresses in Thailand MotoGP Sprint Race

Alex Marquez secures second place in the Sprint Race, showing strong pace but remains realistic about his MotoGP title chances.

Alex Marquez dari Spanyol dan Gresini Racing MotoGP tersenyum dan merayakan posisi kedua selama sesi kualifikasi MotoGP Thailand di Chang International Circuit pada 1 Maret 2025 di Buriram, Thailand. Foto oleh Mirco Lazzari/Getty Images

Oleh Hayu Andini dan Adila Ghina

Alex Marquez displayed remarkable speed throughout the Thailand MotoGP weekend, continuing his strong form from winter testing. The Gresini Racing rider secured a front-row start in qualifying and backed it up with an impressive second-place finish in the Sprint Race.

Despite his best efforts, he was unable to challenge the dominant Marc Marquez. However, Alex had no trouble maintaining his position, finishing more than two seconds ahead of Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia. His performance highlighted his ability to compete at the front, further strengthening his presence in the championship fight.

Alex Marquez remains realistic about title hopes

Although his strong performance suggests he could be a consistent podium contender, Alex Marquez remains pragmatic about his chances of winning the MotoGP title this season.

"I will answer honestly: no, it is impossible. You have to be realistic," he said when asked if he considered himself a championship contender.

Alex acknowledges that the battle for the title is extremely competitive, especially against riders like Marc Marquez and Bagnaia, who have years of experience fighting at the top.

"They have been at the front for many years, fighting for the championship, always in the top three in the general classification. Marc has won a lot, they have the experience that we don't have, fighting every weekend for the podium," he explained.

However, despite admitting the challenges ahead, Alex remains determined to push forward and improve throughout the season.

"But, having said that, why not? Dreaming is free. Life has taught me that by dreaming and working, you can achieve a lot. We will give everything and see where we are at the end of the season," he added.

Marc Marquez sees Alex as his strongest rival

Six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez acknowledged that his younger brother was the only rider who could match his pace in the Buriram Sprint Race.

Alex managed to close the gap to within one second towards the end of the race, but Marc maintained his lead to secure the victory. Even so, Alex was satisfied with his result.

"I think he's got a few hidden tenths, at least one, that doesn't look like anything but makes a big difference here," Alex said.

The challenge of replicating Marc Marquez and Bagnaia’s riding style

One of the biggest obstacles for Alex Marquez is adapting his riding style to match Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia. He believes both riders have unique skills that set them apart from the rest of the Ducati contingent.

"I think we did the best on paper, which was to realistically finish second, so I'm really happy," said Alex.

He acknowledged that studying data from Marc and Bagnaia could help him find areas for improvement, but some aspects of their riding remain difficult to replicate.

"I will also look at the data of Marc and Pecco. They do different things, you can see it in practice, but until you are behind them in the race and see the line you cannot know. Marc does Turn 4 very fast and it is very difficult to copy him. But in other points, like Turn 3 or 1, I can improve a little bit," he explained.

Alex believes that while he is close in performance to Bagnaia, the reigning world champion has a slightly higher limit.

"I keep saying that they both have a little bit more, with Pecco more equal, but he has more limit than me. We have to make a good start and a good first few laps, that will be very important," he concluded.

Alex Marquez aims to maintain strong form

With a strong showing in the Thailand MotoGP Sprint Race, Alex Marquez has proven his ability to fight at the front. The challenge now is to maintain his performance and remain a consistent podium contender throughout the season. If he continues at this level, he could become a serious threat in every race weekend.