Alex Marquez has secured a factory Ducati bike for the 2026 MotoGP season, providing him with increased security and stability as he prepares to build on his 2025 performance. After finishing second in the championship last year with three wins and a strong showing in a Ducati 1-2, Marquez is setting his sights on further improvements alongside the Italian manufacturer.
Strong 2025 Season Highlights Marquez’s Rising Status
In 2025, Marquez was outpaced only by his older brother, Marc Marquez, who dominated the season by claiming 11 race victories, 14 Sprint wins, and clinching the title well before the season’s end. Despite being overshadowed by his sibling’s success, Alex’s consistent podium finishes and race wins elevated his status enough to earn the factory support for the upcoming year.
Pressure on Ducati to Enhance Performance Under Current Regulations
Though Alex Marquez feels more secure with his factory setup, he emphasizes that the responsibility largely falls on Ducati to improve the Desmosedici GP’s competitiveness. As the 1,000cc regulations approach their final year, rival manufacturers like KTM, Honda, and notably Aprilia have made significant gains, with Aprilia taking three wins in the last four events of 2025.
“It gives to me especially more security, more maturity to approach things, but especially because we have all the ingredients to cook our things slowly and we will have all that we will have from Ducati to have performance,”
Marquez said during the Gresini Ducati team launch in Kuala Lumpur.
“We will try to help, but especially it’s Ducati that need to make the job to improve a little bit more the bike,”
he added, highlighting the challenges posed by advancing competitors.
“So, we will try this preseason to try the new things that Ducati will bring to us and try to make the bike stronger and stronger.”
Expectations for a Competitive 2026 Season as Rivals Close In
Marquez recognizes the threat posed by other manufacturers who closed the gap during the latter portion of last season. Both Aprilia and KTM riders, such as Bezzecchi and Acosta, have shown progress that could intensify competition.
“It will be interesting because last year especially Aprilia and KTM were quite close in the end; they were coming and were making some steps – also the riders, not just the manufacturers, […] Bezzecchi and Acosta made some steps and they were quite close,”
he stated.
Marquez expressed confidence that Ducati is already making strides during the offseason to refine their bike’s performance.
“So, it will be quite interesting, but I have the confidence that Ducati will make some steps, they already did some this winter and the bike will be more competitive, more complete, and in the points that we suffered a little bit more it will be even stronger.”
Focus on Team and Personal Improvements Alongside Bike Development
Apart from relying on Ducati’s advancements, Marquez also pointed to the need for collective progress within the Gresini Racing team. He believes maintaining the right mindset is crucial while addressing specific weaknesses identified during the last season.
“It’s true that, after the year that we did last year, we are on the table […] for this year,”
he remarked.
“It’s something normal, it’s something I like, everybody is seeing us as a big competitor and this is always good. So, what we need to do with the team is the same job we did last year: try to not change many things; try to not change especially the mentality, the mentality should be the same one because it helped me and also the team last year to achieve those results.”
“We know [what they are], we analysed during all the winter with the team, so we will try to be even more complete in some points of the season that [in 2025] we did some mistakes.”
Anticipating a Challenging and Rewarding MotoGP Season
With the 2026 season on the horizon, Alex Marquez’s partnership with Ducati offers both promise and challenge. As manufacturers refine their machines under the outgoing 1,000cc rules, the competition is poised to intensify. Marquez’s confidence in Ducati’s potential improvements, combined with a focused team effort, positions him as a strong contender aiming to close the gap with top riders like his brother Marc Marquez and rising rivals from Aprilia and KTM. The upcoming season is likely to test the resilience and adaptability of all competitors as they battle for supremacy.
