Alex’s time to shine!
Bragging rights in the Marquez household have traditionally been in the exclusive persevere of older sibling Marc.
But the pecking order in chez Marquez may see a surprise reshuffle in 2023.
Alex Marquez has wasted precious little time in putting a three-year Honda horror show behind him with an eye-catching start to his new Ducati career.
An impressive ninth in last month’s Malaysia test, the former Moto3 and Moto2 World Champion shone again during the Portimao outing. The Spaniard finished seventh fastest but just over 0.1s outside of the top three.
The younger Marquez is almost unrecognisable from the demoralised rider caught up in the misery of Honda’s shocking decline of the last few years.
Re-energised by a transfer to Ducati’s year-old GP22, this season is the opportunity for Marquez has craved to show he can cut at the very highest level.
Optimism is high that Marquez is a potential race winner in 2023. And if not reaching those dizzy heights, there’s an expectancy that he can stick his nose in the podium tussle on a frequent basis.
Realism is rife too. Particularly from the younger Marquez himself, who isn’t getting too carried away by his newfound comfort and confidence on the satellite Gresini Ducati machine.
“Everybody in the paddock is really enthusiastic, but calm down, because it's just a test,” said the 26-year-old.
He added: “We are still far from the first Ducati in the time sheets. I feel consistent, I feel good on the Desmosedici, but there are still some points that I need to improve on, especially when it comes to how to stop the bike properly.”