Marc Marquez: Alex would be appreciated more if he had a different surname

Marc Marquez believes his younger brother Alex would get more recognition for his success in the 2025 MotoGP season if he didn’t carry the burden of the Marquez surname.

Gresini rider Alex is enjoying a breakthrough campaign on last year’s title-winning Ducati GP24, winning two grands prix and bagging seven other podium finishes.

This run of form has comfortably put him second in the riders’ standings, almost 100 points clear of two-time champion Francesco Bagnaia on the factory Ducati in third.

But the Spaniard has often raced in the shadow of his brother Marc, who was already a six-time MotoGP champion by the time Alex stepped up to the premier class in 2020.

After a solid rookie campaign with HRC five years ago, the younger Marquez had to go through a tough patch at LCR Honda, and it was only after he moved to Gresini in 2023 that he returned to the podium.

Marc believes his brother isn’t receiving the plaudits he deserves for his performances in MotoGP, as he described his form in 2025 as “flawless”.

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

“I am convinced that if Alex Marquez had a different surname, his season would be valued much more highly,” said Marc, who leads the championship by 182 points.

“He's always had this handicap. Many people see it as a help, and I always say: it's a burden to have a brother who, yes, this season I'm doing even better than I expected, but he's having a flawless year.”

Alex had to undergo surgery in June after fracturing his left hand in a collision with KTM’s Pedro Acosta at the Dutch Grand Prix in Assen. Although he did not miss any races, his form suffered, and he went three race weekends without finishing on the podium.

He made a triumphant comeback at the Catalan Grand Prix earlier this month and has since regained his early-season form.

Asked about Alex’s results this season, factory Ducati rider Marc said: “After the injury to his hand, things got a little twisted, with penalties and other things, but apart from those three or four races, he has had a season worthy of winning a world championship.”

Marc is on the verge of winning his seventh premier class title, an achievement that would put him level with his long-time foe Valentino Rossi among the series’ most successful riders.

Valentino Rossi, VR46 Racing Team Owner

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

The only rider to seriously challenge him this season has been his brother Alex, with Bagnaia enduring a tough campaign and other Ducati-mounted riders only occasionally finishing on the podium.

Marc described Alex as one of the most hard-working riders on the grid and said there is no shame in being beaten by a factory rider in the championship.

“Alex is capable of anything, he's proven that in the past,” he added. “He may not have the extra talent that other riders have, but he works much harder than those other riders, and I'm not naming names, eh?” he said, not wanting to raise suspicions.

"But it's like everything else, talent, if you don't work hard... and vice versa. With a little less talent, if you don't work hard, you won't get there. 

“He is capable of anything. He has been Moto3 and Moto2 champion, and now he is second in a championship in which he is only surpassed by a factory bike that is also having an almost unbeatable season.”