Red flags due to Alex Marquez: wheelie, rear wheel lock-up, crash

Alex Márquez caused a disruption during the MotoGP qualifying session on Friday afternoon because his bike had to be recovered by track marshals. The Spaniard crashed after exiting Turn 1 whilst changing direction, when his front wheel slipped out from under him. He hit the tarmac hard but was able to get straight back on his feet and make his way over the barrier. Alex hurried back to the Gresini team’s pit, jumped onto his second Ducati and ultimately set the eighth-fastest time, which was enough to secure direct entry into Qualifying 2, which takes place on Saturday from 11.15 am.

“We do a lot of wheelies on this track; when the front wheel touches down again, everything has to be perfect,” said Márquez, describing the unusual circumstances of his crash. “I was on the brakes a bit too hard and the rear wheel locked up. I didn’t expect the crash and wasn’t physically prepared for it, but I’m okay. Overall, it wasn’t a particularly good day for us; we had a lot of problems and couldn’t find enough grip, neither at the rear nor at the front.”

Alex Márquez took to the track with various aerodynamic packages. However, because the front oil sump fairing had come loose in FP1, he was unable to carry out a direct comparison test. The fact that Pedro Acosta set the fastest time on the KTM, 0.127 seconds ahead of Marquez’s team-mate Fermin Aldeguer, came as no surprise to the World Championship runner-up. “When it comes to his race pace, he’s half a second ahead,” Alex noted. “On paper, he’s the man to beat on Saturday and Sunday. We have no choice but to analyse things and be a bit better on Saturday. Perhaps it will help us if it gets a bit warmer.”

Ahead of the races in Styria, Alex Marquez sits eighth in the World Championship standings with 153 points; he trails Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia), who is ahead of him, by 46 points.

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19.09.2026 - 08:35