Alex Marquez (Gresini) finished third but still won

In the world of motorsport, Alex Marquez finished third in the race he competed in with the Gresini team, yet he still secured a victory. This performance draws attention when considering the difficulty of the race and the strategic approaches taken.

Attempting to Manage the Race Difficulty

Alex Marquez knew in advance how difficult the 27-lap race would be. Therefore, he made every effort to prevent a major drop and complete the weekend. The team focused on using the medium tires in a way that allowed them to pass without crashing. However, this strategy only worked in part. Although the long stints were good, he was eventually caught. This situation was like a race at Silverstone.

Details of the Performance

While Alex Marquez finished third in previous races, he displayed a different approach in this race. He stated that the "AM73" model did not provide the best times compared to his brothers and Diggia. The rider said, "The performance was sufficient, but no crash occurred." However, when it came to the best speeds and starting positions, Marquez finished third, just like last year. This indicated that his talent was not poor, but he avoided at least one crash.

Standings and Results

The overall race situation was shaped by Marquez's performance. He finished in 8th place alongside Pedro Acosta in the Vice-Championship standings. In the Sprint race, Alex Marquez could not improve his position through his own ability but benefited from the mishap experienced by Aprilia and Pedro Acosta's long stints, rising to 5th place. This created a general sensation with Ducati's three bikes reaching the top 5.

Results

In the Grand Prix race, the Gresini rider expressed that he knew how difficult the race would be from the start. The team tried everything to prevent a major drop and complete the weekend. They focused on moving forward without crashing by using the medium tires. Although this strategy worked partially, he was eventually caught. Fabio Di Giannantonio's situation was worse; Alex Marquez finished in 7th place before his problems surfaced, and he was only six seconds behind the sprint leader Marc. These results were considered a success in general. Alex Marquez took third place with an unscheinbare (escaped) start, and by not participating in the race, Pecco Bagnaia also rose to 8th place. The same crash occurred for teammate and last year's champion Fermin Aldeguer. The young rider struggled in this situation.

Comments

Alex Marquez:

In their words

Talent was not poor, but he avoided at least one crash.

Alex Marquez:

In their words

I knew how difficult the 27-lap GP would be from the beginning. I did everything to prevent a big drop and to finish the weekend. We spent most of our time using the medium tires in a way that we could pass without crashing. But this only worked in part. The long stints were good, but he eventually caught me. It was like a race at Silverstone.

Figures

• Alex Marquez finished 8th with 172 points in the 2026 [MotoGP] season (Gresini Racing).
• Archive: [Championship message from Jorge Martin to Marc Marquez: "I don't think I will struggle anymore!"]](/news/agenda/jorge-martinden-marc-marqueze-sampiyonluk-mesaji-artik-zorlanacagimi-dusunmuyorum) (October 12, 2026)

Compiled by Şükrü Utku Poyraz