At the 2025 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix, Alex Marquez described his Friday performance as a complete disaster after failing to secure direct entry into Q2 for the first time this season. The Gresini Ducati rider, currently second in the championship standings, faces increased pressure as he tries to prevent his older brother, Marc Marquez, from clinching the world title prematurely.
With Marc Marquez poised to win the 2025 championship, Alex needs to avoid losing more than three points this weekend to delay his brother’s title celebration until the next race in Indonesia. Unfortunately, Friday’s practice sessions reflected a challenging start for Alex, who ended Practice 2 in 15th place, struggling more than his brother and other competitors.
Struggles Mark a Difficult Friday at Motegi
Alex Marquez began the day with a crash in the first free practice session, which hampered his rhythm. Throughout the afternoon session, he remained near the bottom of the timesheets as he battled a persistent lack of front tire grip, impacting his ability to slow the bike effectively. The rider revealed that he faced significant struggles with front-end feeling, which severely affected his confidence and lap times during the day.
Reflecting on the sessions, Alex stated,
“I mean, it was a disaster this morning,”
highlighting the rough start. He did find slight improvement later, mentioning,
“It was less of a disaster this afternoon, I would say, because still at least we had some positive things on the time attack with the soft rear.”
Despite these minor positives, he was hindered by external factors, such as yellow flags during a critical time run, which further reduced his chances of advancing.
He admitted the day was unusual and difficult for the whole field but especially tough for his team, emphasizing,
“But anyway, it was not a good day for us. Strange day for everybody, but especially for us.”
His main issue revolved around stopping the bike effectively due to poor front tire feedback, a challenge he must solve before Saturday.
Analyzing the Cause of Issues and Crash
Alex explained the reason behind his crash in FP1 was an attempt to try a substantially different set-up, which ultimately did not prove effective. He said:
“I mean, it’s true that I remained with the medium/medium, especially the medium rear tyre, to try to find a solution for the problems that we have because if you change the rear tyre you don’t understand what is happening on the bike.”
He acknowledged the superior grip provided by the soft rear tire at this track, stating that it represented a
“huge step on the grip level.”
After his crash and switching to another bike, he noticed a problem with the first machine, saying,
“Also, from the crash, when I took the other bike I saw something was not really good on the first bike.”
This forced the team to stay calm and patient while they worked on understanding the difficulties and adjusting the bike’s setup accordingly.
Alex admitted that making such a large setup change comes with risks, including unexpected crashes. He commented,
“And when you change like that, you always have crashes you don’t understand. But I forgot it, I took the other bike and I was able to be a little bit faster than what we were.”
Turning Q1 Into an Advantage
For the first time this season, Alex Marquez will have to start from Q1, but he views this situation as a potential benefit. He intends to use the additional 15 minutes on track to better comprehend his difficulties and work through them.
“The Q1 for me is an opportunity to have 15 minutes more than the rest,”
he explained.
His focus will be on maintaining speed, consistency, and delivering a strong qualifying performance to fight for a spot in Q2. Alex expressed determination to extract maximum effort, stating,
“So, I will focus on that to give my maximum. And from that moment I will try to pass to Q2 and pass to Q2 with fresh things and know what we need to do in the time attack.”
This mindset highlights his intent to overcome the setbacks experienced on Friday and find solutions overnight to improve his bike’s balance and grip, essential for challenging his brother and other rivals in the championship battle going forward.
The Road Ahead After a Troubled Practice Day
Alex Marquez’s difficulties at the Japanese Grand Prix underscore the unpredictable nature of the MotoGP season, particularly as the championship fight intensifies. His inability to reach Q2 directly adds added pressure to his weekend, as every point counts in delaying Marc Marquez’s title victory. The team’s task overnight is clear: understand the front tire issues, improve the bike’s setup, and maximize the opportunity that Q1 provides to fight back.
As the weekend continues, how well Alex can adapt and respond to these challenges will be critical in maintaining contention for the 2025 world championship. With the next race scheduled in Indonesia, the impending pressure and rivalries promise to intensify, putting the Marquez brothers under a spotlight like never before.
