All in the family
Brothers Marc, Alex get chance to become big winners
SEPANG: The Sepang International Circuit may witness a glorious first in 20 years of staging the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix if the Marquez siblings – Marc and Alex get their acts right.
Elder brother Marc arrives in Malaysia as the big favourite to win the race for the second straight year this Sunday, making it 12 stunning wins in a row this season.
And younger brother Alex, racing for Marc VDS Racing Team, is also not short of motivation to play his part to make them the first siblings to win at Sepang.
The 23-year-old Alex is now on the brink of capturing the Moto2 world title.
Alex has a 28-point lead over Thomas Luthi of Spain with two races to go in Sepang and the final round in Valencia next month.
Alex, who finished eighth in the Australian Grand Prix in Phillip Island last Sunday, only needs to secure three points (13th placing) to seal the world title.
If he pulls it off, it will be the second world title for Alex, who was crowned Moto3 overall champion in 2014.
The two brothers already hold nine world titles between them, the latest with Marc claiming his sixth premier class crown at the Thailand Grand Prix in Buriram early this month.
But being the top professional rider that he is, Alex is not contented to play it safe.
“We achieved good points for the championship by bringing back eight points but we need to make a step for Malaysia. We are not far,” said Alex.
“It will be completely a different situation and feeling in Sepang, so I will try to push from the start and go fast,” he said.
Although delighted with his younger brother’s progress, the 26-year-old Marc said they were different in some ways.
“We have different riding styles. He is much more precise than me. Always holds the same lines, the bike never moves, really smooth,” said Marc.
“I am completely the opposite. The bike is always moving, never the same line, wide going in.
“But in the end, I think the mentality is the same. Always try to win, always try to do your 100%.”
It is not the first time the two brothers celebrate on top of the podium in their respective categories this season.
Marc and Alex already did it three times so far – in Le Mans (France), Catalunya (Spain) and Sachsenring (Germany).
And what’s Marc’s advice for Alex to make it to the top again this weekend?
“Just push like in every race because the problem is if you relax or try to calculate you will finish fifth, sixth or seventh,” said Marc.
“There are so many riders fighting for the victory and you need to be aggressive and push.”