Chaos in Brazil, Alex Marquez blasts: "Unacceptable situation"

Marquez Jr complained at the end of the race in Goiania, which was shortened due to track conditions: here’s what happened.

There was great anticipation to see how MotoGP’s return to Brazil would go, and it’s fair to say it didn’t all run smoothly. Unfortunately, the riders found themselves racing on a circuit that wasn’t ready to handle a race weekend as demanding as the one we just witnessed. A few minutes before Sunday’s race start, teams were informed that 23 laps would be run instead of the originally scheduled 31, due to track degradation. Degradation that the riders indeed felt during the race, particularly in turns 10, 11, and 12. There’s a lot of disappointment. Now all we can do is hope that in 2027 the Autodromo Internacional de Goiania will be prepared to host the World Championship.

Alex Marquez, interviewed by Sky Sport MotoGP, explained how he experienced what happened over the weekend in Goiania and didn’t hide his regret: "Very difficult to manage, especially on Saturday, when they kept informing us of delays: first 10 minutes late, then 15, then an hour... So much uncertainty not knowing how it would go. Already going to the grid for the race I saw strange things on the asphalt; at turns 10-11 the surface was breaking up, and also in the final corner. I asked Capirossi if it was wet there and he said no, but there was something odd."

The BK8 Gresini Racing rider was especially annoyed by how the pre-race was handled, with no time given to adapt to the change in race length and no start delay: "Everything was kind of on the limit, but especially the moment when they decided to shorten the race. That’s a bit unacceptable; there were 4 minutes to go and we couldn’t change anything. I think a start delay would have been fairer. But they decided otherwise, and we are the protagonists who don’t have much to say."

The two-time world champion also showed on TV the wounds caused by small stones that hit him during the race. Pieces of track that broke loose and, as the riders went by, became “projectiles” that could strike anyone nearby.

Marquez Jr also had the chance to talk about his technical situation, explaining that with the Ducati Desmosedici GP26 he doesn’t have the same feeling he had with the GP24 in 2025: "I’m struggling on corner entry, especially when I need to stop the bike, in that phase I have to ride a bit differently compared to before. I think we’ve taken a step forward; earlier we were going down a slightly wrong setup path. It’s a shame I lost a bit of time at the start of the race with Acosta. Compared to 2025 it’s different; some aspects of the bike are better and others worse. I think we’re struggling more because Aprilia in particular has taken a step forward. I was angry with myself after the crash in the Sprint; I tried to let go and made a small mistake. I still don’t have the feeling that lets me push to the limit and do the things I like".

Alex still doesn’t have a natural riding style with the 2026 bike, but over time he expects to improve and be competitive. On Sunday he finished sixth at the flag, pipped on the last lap by Ai Ogura on the Trackhouse Aprilia. Next weekend MotoGP will race in Austin, an opportunity to try to make progress.