Gresini’s Alex Marquez has spent much of his career in the shadow of his older brother, despite having two world titles of his own. He won the Moto3 title in 2014 and followed it up with the Moto2 crown in 2019 before making his MotoGP debut a year later.
His start at Honda came under a cloud, partly because many felt he was only signed to keep Marc happy. At that point, Marc had already dominated the sport, winning six titles for Honda between 2013 and 2019.
But Alex started to quieten those doubters in 2025. He finished second behind Marc in the standings, making them the first brothers to take first and second place in a premier class season. Alongside that achievement, Alex also picked up his first three MotoGP Grand Prix victories that same year.
Alex Marquez: Racing in Marc’s shadow has its ups and downs
After finishing second to Marc in the 2025 championship, it’s no surprise that questions have been raised about whether Alex can win a title while his brother is still competing. But for Alex, the focus isn’t on beating Marc specifically – it’s simply on becoming world champion.
“I don’t care about that,” Alex told Cadena SER when asked about overtaking his brother. “I want to be world champion, that’s it. In the end, you are very lucky to be on the track with a guy like Marc Marquez and learn a lot from him. But at the same time, it’s a pain.”
There are plenty of riders who’ve missed out on titles because of Marc’s dominance and Alex knows he isn’t alone in feeling frustrated by that. “How many people have lost titles because he decided to win seven in MotoGP? A lot,” he added.
“But that is how it is, you have to be around during the era of a Martian, and what can you do? That’s just how it is.”
Even Marc himself has admitted that having the Marquez name has come with its own challenges for Alex. The expectations were huge right from the start and living up to them hasn’t been easy.
The elder Marquez has 73 Grand Prix wins in MotoGP – second only to Valentino Rossi (89) – as well as seven championships. Having won his seventh title last season in his first year as a factory Ducati rider, he now sits just one behind Giacomo Agostini’s record of eight 500cc titles.
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