Marc Marquez’s savvy call wins Alex Marquez’s respect despite early-season 2026 struggles

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Alex Marquez on Marc’s Early Season: “He’s Being Smart”

Marc Marquez hasn’t had the start to the 2026 season that he’d have hoped for, but Alex Marquez says his brother is managing things wisely despite trailing Marco Bezzecchi in the championship standings.

The Ducati rider is still working his way back to full fitness following shoulder surgery last October. He hasn’t taken a win yet this year and currently sits 36 points behind Bezzecchi, who has made a strong start to the campaign with Aprilia.

Marquez did pick up a Sprint victory in Brazil, but he’s still searching for his first Grand Prix podium of the season. So far, he’s retired once – in Thailand – finished fourth in Brazil, and came fifth in the United States after serving a long lap penalty.

In Thailand, he picked up a puncture after hitting a kerb while battling for third place. Then in Brazil, he ran wide again late in the race, allowing VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio to steal third from him.

Alex Marquez backs Marc’s approach even with early-season struggles

Alex believes that although Marc may be making more errors than he’d like, he’s doing a good job of limiting the damage. A strong weekend could quickly close the gap.

“He’s made more mistakes than he would have liked. But when you’re struggling, the important thing is not to miss the boat,” Alex said, via quotes by AS.

“Fifty points at this stage, with 37 up for grabs each weekend, isn’t that much. In the end, when another Ducati beats you, it means there’s room for improvement, and that’s where I’m self-critical about what I can improve.”

If Marc had managed to hold onto P4 in Thailand before retiring due to a puncture, those 13 points would have made his season look a bit better on paper. Bezzecchi hasn’t had a flawless start either.

The key difference is where those mistakes have happened. While Marquez has dropped points in main races worth more to the championship standings, Bezzecchi’s missteps came in Sprints, which carry less weight. He crashed out of both Thailand and COTA Sprints while leading or chasing down leads.