Marc Marquez says he would rather not wrap up the 2025 MotoGP title at next weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix, as doing so would mean his brother Alex had suffered a disastrous home race in Barcelona.
The older Marquez arrived at the Catalan Grand Prix on Thursday with a 175-point lead in the championship, having been unbeaten in the last seven race weekends.
If the factory Ducati rider is able to stretch that advantage by another 47 points in the following two rounds in Barcelona and Misano, he would be able to seal his seventh premier class title before the flyaway leg of the season.
While creating such a gap in two rounds won’t be straightforward, Gresini’s Alex Marquez is going through a rough patch since his injury in the Dutch Grand Prix, and has accumulated just 17 points in the last two rounds.
This leaves the door open for the factory Ducati star to clinch the title in Misano, the home turf of his long-time MotoGP foe, Valentino Rossi.
Amid conflicting interests between sporting success and family ties, Marc Marquez said he is willing to wait until October to seal the title and complete his incredible comeback from the injuries he sustained in 2020.
“I wish to have the ‘title ball’ as soon as possible, but I wish to have it in Japan or Indonesia because if I have it in Misano, it means my brother had a disaster weekend here in Catalunya,” said the 32-year-old.
“If I keep focused, it’s a matter of time. But for this case, I prefer a good weekend for my brother than the ‘match ball’ in Misano.”
Marc Marquez, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Ahead of this weekend’s Catalan GP, Marquez admitted that he would “hate” Barcelona if it weren’t his home track, citing his previous struggles at the 4.6km circuit.
But while his current form makes him the favourite for victory this weekend, the Spaniard said he will have to work extra hard at Barcelona to remain at the sharp end of the field.
“As every year, here in Montmelo, I know that I need to work a little bit more than on other circuits to try to reach the top level, that will be the target during the weekend,” he said. “But we arrive in good shape.
“It’s true that it’s one of my worst circuits on the calendar, but the fact that it is the home GP gives me an extra motivation in the sprint race and main race. That is where we will try to score the maximum points.”
Marquez is enjoying one of the most dominant periods in MotoGP history, with the British Grand Prix in May marking the last time he did not stand on the top step of the podium.
Overall, he has won 10 out of the 14 grands prix so far, in addition to 13 triumphs in half-distance sprints.
But the six-time MotoGP champion admitted his winning run could end this weekend in Barcelona, noting that the threat to his streak may come from both inside and outside Ducati.
Asked if the Catalan GP could be his toughest weekend since his dominant run began in Aragon, he said: “Can be. Maybe it’s the time to stop that victories in a row. We don’t know.
“We will try to work for it, we will try to fight for the top. But it’s true that not only Alex [is strong], but also Pecco [Bagnaia] won the last two years here.
“He won on the last two Sundays here last year [Catalan GP and Solidarity GP], so let’s see what we can do.”
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