Gibernau design without a happy ending: Alex Márquez still draws a positive conclusion

It could have been the perfect story: to mark the Gresini team’s 30th anniversary, Alex Márquez rode on Sunday in the Movistar livery with which Sete Gibernau had beaten Valentino Rossi in the final sprint at the Sachsenring in 2003 on the Gresini Honda. After finishing second in the sprint, it looked as though history might repeat itself in the race: Alex Márquez followed his brother Marc in second place for the first few laps. But at the end of the ninth lap, he lost control in Turn 13 – the retro-style Ducati ended up in the gravel trap.

Alex Marquez’s strategy backfired

Alex Marquez took responsibility for the crash. “I made a small mistake. I was too overconfident at those two points,” he explained. The conditions also played a part: “The grip level was lower than usual, which made it trickier.” He wasn’t sure whether the wind had played a part: “It was more my fault.” During the race, he’d tried to look after the front tyre and give his brother some space: “I tried to bide my time and save the rear tyre, but I put too much load on the front to make up the time I’d lost elsewhere.”

Even though the finish was a bitter one, Márquez drew a positive conclusion from the Sachsenring. “I’m sad about this crash, but happy with the whole weekend. I’m coming back from an injury, and it looks as though we’ve got the pace.” What he’s still lacking, he said, is race rhythm: “I need more time to really get to grips with this pace, this performance. I still need a bit more to be back at one hundred per cent.”

Willkommen zum Rennen am Sachsenring

Foto: Gerhard Schiel

Grid Girls

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Jorge Martin

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Fans

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Marc Márquez

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Paddock

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Paddock

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Fabio Di Giannantonio

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Start des Rennens

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Start des Rennens

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Blick auf die Strecke

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Fabio Quartararo

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Alex Márquez

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Martin und Bagnaia

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Fans

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Fernández und Ogura

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Pedro Acosta

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Paddock

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Luca Marini

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Marc Márquez

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Pecco Bagnaia

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Binder und Moreira

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Marc Márquez gewinnt das Rennen

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Sieger Marc Márquez

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Sieger Marc Márquez

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Ai Ogura, Marc Márquez, Raúl Fernández

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Sieger Marc Márquez

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Willkommen zum Rennen am Sachsenring

© Gerhard Schiel

Less consistency in the title race – brother Marc and Jorge Martín as favourites

The last completely normal weekend was the one in Barcelona – until the crash in the race. He saw the Sachsenring weekend as a step forward. He cited his own riding position as the cause of the crash in the race: “I’m not helping the bike turn in enough in the corners. I’m too stiff on the bike and put too much weight on the front.” After the summer break, and at the latest with the updates due to arrive at Silverstone, he wants to be back on top form.

Commenting as an expert on the wide-open title race – with just 24 points separating the top five – the 2025 World Championship runner-up said: “Nobody has really been consistent; nobody has been on form all weekend. It looks as though this year is more open because more mistakes are being made. The only rider to have shown consistency at the start of the season was Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) – “unfortunately, he was injured and hasn’t had much luck in the last few races.” It will be interesting to see who finds that consistency after the summer break. He believes Marc is just as capable of this as the championship leader, Jorge Martin (Aprilia): “He doesn’t make much of a fuss, but he’s there.”

In the World Championship standings, Alex Márquez remains eighth with 87 points following Sunday’s zero-point finish.