Alex Márquez of Gresini Racing ended his brother Marc’s impressive winning streak by taking victory at their home Catalan Grand Prix on Sunday. The win made up for his crash while leading Saturday’s sprint race and marked only the second race win of his career.
Marc had won the last 15 sprint and main races, and a win on Sunday would have given him a chance to secure a seventh title at next weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix, held on Ducati’s home ground. But Alex had other ideas, disrupting those plans and cutting Marc’s championship lead to 182 points with seven rounds remaining. This means Marc cannot clinch the title until at least the Japanese Grand Prix later this month.
Tech3’s Enea Bastianini finished third to earn his first podium with the team, while KTM’s Pedro Acosta and Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo completed the top five.
“This feels so good,” said Alex. “I still had yesterday’s crash in the back of my mind a little, but once I was on the bike today, I told myself, ‘This one has to come home with me.’ I was able to set strong lap times, and I’m really happy for the team—they’ve always supported me through the tough moments, and now we’re back.”
Alex had taken his first pole position since April 2023, but it was sprint winner Marc who got the better start, leading into the first turn and blocking his brother’s attempt to pass on the next. Acosta slotted into third.
But Alex was determined not to finish behind his brother again this season. On lap four, the Gresini rider broke free from Marc’s shadow, seizing an opportunity at turn one to retake the lead.
Marc had warned all weekend that his younger brother had the best pace, and the timing sheets confirmed it—Alex set the fastest lap and built a half-second advantage. Further back, Bastianini used Acosta’s slipstream to pass the KTM rider on lap 11 and move into third, earning a broad smile from former F1 team principal and future Tech3 CEO Guenther Steiner.
As the top three pulled away, Acosta—the only rider using a soft rear tire—saw his strategy backfire and began to drop back. The race ultimately became a battle between the Márquez brothers, with Bastianini admitting he had no chance of catching them.
In the closing laps, Marc visibly eased off, the gap widening as he acknowledged he had been soundly beaten by a determined Alex.
“I gave my maximum and had a perfect race,” said a gracious Marc, who even saluted his brother as Alex celebrated with the enthusiastic home crowd. “He was faster, and I tried to follow, but on the last lap I was really on the limit and struggling. Still, I’m happy for Alex, happy for Ducati, and happy for myself—to finish second at a difficult circuit is a good result.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Alex Márquezs victory at the Catalan Grand Prix designed to be clear and helpful for fans of all levels
General Beginner Questions
Q Who won the 2023 Catalan Grand Prix
A Alex Márquez won the race
Q Who is Alex Márquezs brother
A His brother is Marc Márquez an 8time world champion and one of the most successful MotoGP riders of all time
Q What unbeaten streak did Alex end
A He ended a longstanding record where a Márquez brother had won every premierclass Catalan GP held since 2013
Q What team does Alex Márquez ride for
A He rides for the Gresini Racing team on a Ducati motorcycle
Q Was this Alex Márquezs first MotoGP win
A No this was his second win in the premier MotoGP class His first win was at the 2020 EmiliaRomagna GP
Advanced Detailed Questions
Q How significant was this win for Alex Márquezs career
A It was hugely significant It proved his talent on a competitive Ducati silenced critics and marked him as a genuine race winner stepping out of his brothers very large shadow
Q What made this particular victory so symbolic
A Winning at the Circuit de BarcelonaCatalunya which is his and his brothers home track and finally being the Márquez to win there instead of Marc made it a powerful personal and symbolic achievement
Q How did Marc Márquez perform in that race
A Marc Márquez had a difficult weekend He crashed during the Sprint race on Saturday and then suffered another crash during the main Grand Prix on Sunday failing to score any points
Q Did the weather or track conditions play a role in the outcome
A The race was run in very hot and demanding conditions which tested tire wear and physical fitness Alex managed these factors perfectly to secure the win
Q What does this win say about the current state of MotoGP
