Alex Marquez on his move to KTM: “Ducati was fully focused on Pedro”

After missing three Grands Prix following a heavy crash in Barcelona, Alex Márquez made his racing comeback at Assen. He retired early at Brno, but at Assen the younger Márquez brother finished fifth. At the Sachsenring, the rider currently ninth in the World Championship standings will be the only Gresini rider on the grid: his team-mate Fermin Aldeguer is recovering from a fractured thoracic vertebra sustained in his crash at Assen and will be sidelined until after the summer break. Gresini will not be fielding a replacement rider in Germany. In each of the past two years, Alex Marquez has finished on the podium at the Sachsenring.

Physically, the Spaniard is feeling better by the day. “The bone has fully healed. So I can take more risks this weekend and ride as normal. I’m still a bit short on strength, but it’s getting better every day,” said the Spaniard, commenting on his state of health. The Sachsenring, with its unique layout, suits him well: “I don’t have those quick changes of direction here like at Assen, which were difficult for me. You don’t need to be aggressive with your power.”

Why is Alex Márquez switching from Ducati to KTM?

His decision about his future has been the main talking point recently: after four years together, Alex Márquez is leaving Gresini and will ride for the KTM works team in 2027. “I’m excited. After finishing runner-up in the championship last year, I tried to secure a place with a factory team,” he explained.

When talks with KTM began, he came across a team that was convinced of his ability and showed him everything – the passion a rider needs to succeed, Marquez explained. “It wasn’t an easy decision,” he admitted openly. Team owner Nadia Padovani and team manager Michele Masini had been in the loop from the very first day of the KTM talks. “I promised Nadia: if anyone comes along, I’ll tell her first.” The contract was signed several months ago, before it was officially made public following the signing of the new Concorde Agreement between the manufacturers and MSEG.

The factory contract was the deciding factor. “You may be in a satellite team, but you have the factory contract. Just last year, the bike could be completely different from the first race to the third. That’s exactly why a factory team was so important to me.”

No offer from Ducati – they’re backing Acosta

When asked whether the lack of an offer from Ducati had surprised him, Márquez responded calmly. He was aware that the factory team had been paying particular attention to KTM ace Pedro Acosta. “They were fully focused on signing Pedro. I accept that; it’s normal. Pedro is the future MotoGP champion; he’s young – I’m already 30 and in a different situation.” He admitted that perhaps an offer might still have come if he’d waited a little longer. “But I wanted this, I was convinced.” It helped that he knew many people involved in the KTM project who had worked with him in the past: a few phone calls – and the decision was made.

In the KTM works team next year, Alex Márquez will be reunited with Fabio Di Giannantonio, who was his team-mate at Gresini in 2023. It doesn’t stir up any great emotions: “It doesn’t change anything for me. We’re both coming from Ducati, so the feedback should be similar.”