Alex Marquez warns Ducati: Marc needs help

Marc Marquez finished the Indonesian Grand Prix in sixth place. With a 10.7-second gap to winner Marco Bezzecchi, the reigning MotoGP champion was unable to fight the Aprilias for victory. Fortunately, the Ducati rider took first place in the Sprint, limiting the damage and staying just two points behind championship leader Jorge Martin.

The Desmosedicis struggled considerably at Mandalika. The RS-GPs were clear favourites even before the weekend began. The rear carcass and reinforced tyre caused headaches for the bikes from Borgo Panigale. Fortunately for Ducati, this tyre-and-carcass combination will never be used again, as Alex Marquez pointed out. "We couldn’t keep up the pace, and then the rear tyre wore out badly. We have to be patient; we won’t have this carcass again until... never. We’ve already said goodbye to it for good", he said, referring to the change of tyre supplier in 2027.

Marc Marquez may need Alex Marquez’s help in the 2026 MotoGP title fight. The Gresini rider gave a clear-eyed assessment of the situation after the Indonesian GP. "Marc defended himself well on a track that gave him trouble". It was neither a victory nor a defeat for the nine-time world champion, who remains firmly focused on the title. Despite the talent of #93, Alex Marquez expects the championship battle to remain wide open. The Aprilias could have an advantage in Australia, Qatar and Portimao. "Marc will have to navigate those races with great skill".

Aprilia’s dominance in Indonesia showed just how difficult it can be for Ducati to keep pace at certain circuits. Alex Marquez knows that Marc may eventually need help from his fellow Ducati riders. Noale is already thinking about it: "At Aprilia, they want the title and are already talking to all the riders", Alex noted. "I think the time will come for Ducati to do the same. However, it’s still a little early".

During the race at Mandalika, the rear tyre suffered a significant drop in performance. As a result, Alex Marquez couldn’t maintain his pace and had to focus on finishing the race. The Spaniard ultimately took seventh place. "It was a weekend where the main thing was to survive. There wasn’t much more we could do. We struggled, saw the Aprilias take the top four places, and from that point on there was nothing else we could do. We finished the race".

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