For the first time in the 2025 MotoGP season, Alex Marquez did not secure a direct spot in Q2, impacting his momentum and increasing his brother Marc Marquez‘s chances to claim the championship at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix in Motegi. The incident marks a notable shift, as both Marquez brothers had consistently reached the second qualifying round based solely on their pace during Friday’s practice sessions.
Marc and Alex Marquez’s Qualifying Session Performance
While Marc Marquez managed to recover from an uncertain start and finished third in the final qualifying order, Alex Marquez struggled throughout. The Gresini rider ended up 15th in the timesheets, more than half a second behind Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi, who set a leading pace. Alex faced challenges early on, placing last at the halfway mark, compounded by a crash at Turn 9 that compromised his ability to set a competitive lap.
After switching to a second bike, Alex briefly found form by setting the fifth-fastest lap with eight minutes remaining. However, a late surge from several riders pushed him outside the top 10, while yellow flags and a cautious last lap further prevented him from regaining ground in the hectic and incident-filled session.
Technical Struggles and Race Outlook
Alex Marquez highlighted ongoing difficulties with controlling his Ducati GP24, particularly when approaching braking zones and corner entries. He acknowledged these issues but remained composed regarding his qualifying setback.
“We are not in Q2 for half a tenth, so it’s not a lot, but it’s like it is,” Alex said, referencing the slim margin between him and tenth place Johann Zarco.
“Still many problems, especially with the front going in, entry, how to stop the bike until the end.”
“I’m having a hard time stopping the bike. I’m not entering the corner properly and then I’m carrying all these problems. There’s no need to panic; we’re missing out on Q2 by half a tenth.” – Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing
Maintaining Confidence Despite Setback
Despite this being his first miss of direct Q2 qualification, Alex remains confident in his qualifying pace, recalling his strong track record of front-row starts, having achieved this 12 times in 16 rounds, including a pole position at the Catalan Grand Prix. He does not believe drastic changes are needed to return to top form in Motegi.
“We don’t need to find some magic, we [just] need to put everything together,” he explained, comparing the current challenge to adapting from Misano’s high-grip conditions to the different track characteristics in Japan.
“We need to be aggressive, we need to be positive, don’t lose the nerves, be patient and just try to be a little bit more clever tomorrow.”
Implications for the Championship and Next Steps
Alex’s unexpected struggle to reach Q2 has opened a door for Marc Marquez to tighten his grip on the title race. While Alex’s performance issues hint at ongoing bike setup challenges, his composed approach and experience suggest he will continue to compete strongly in MotoGP’s remaining rounds. As the Japanese Grand Prix unfolds, attention will focus on whether Marc can exploit this advantage to progress toward his next championship victory, while Alex aims to regain confidence and pace in the upcoming race sessions.
