Marc Marquez, the current MotoGP world champion, has declared that his younger brother, Alex Marquez, will be his primary competitor for the 2026 championship. In fact, Marc says he will stop referring to him as his brother and instead recognize him as a worthy rival.
The 32-year-old Marc secured his seventh premier class title last season with the Ducati factory team, achieving 11 Grand Prix wins and 14 Sprint victories. This marked his first championship win in six years and his ninth overall, tying with former rival Valentino Rossi. Meanwhile, Alex Marquez achieved three wins and finished second in the standings, with a 78-point lead over Marc, resulting in a historic 1-2 finish for the Marquez family.
Alex’s impressive performance on the Gresini Racing GP24 bike earned him a promotion to the factory Ducati GP26 for the 2026 season. Recognizing Alex’s accomplishments, Marc says he now sees him as his main rival and respects him greatly—so much so that he no longer calls him “my brother.”
Speaking at the Estrella Galicia event in November, Marc shared, “Alex will be my main rival from the start. He’ll have a GP26 and has proven he can do anything. But we must also remember the other competitors and dominant brands.”
He added, “Next year, my brother Alex will be my biggest rival. That doesn’t change how we operate—only a switch in positions would change the dynamic, benefiting Gresini but disadvantaging the official Ducati team. I call him Alex Marquez, the world championship runner-up and an all-rounder who can lead any team. I would value this season more for both my brothers being champion and runner-up than my own comeback season.”
Marc Marquez will miss the last four races of the 2025 season due to complex shoulder injuries sustained in a crash with Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi at the Indonesian Grand Prix. He underwent surgery a week later and is expected to be ready for the Sepang test in February.
Fan Take: This brotherly rivalry adds an exciting new dimension to MotoGP, injecting fresh drama and competition into the 2026 season. Racing fans can anticipate intense battles on the track that could redefine the sport’s competitive landscape for years to come.
