Alex Marquez has secured his MotoGP future for the next two seasons, penning a fresh deal to stay with Gresini Racing until the end of the 2026 season. This news comes after murmurs throughout the paddock and was officially confirmed by Motorsport.com last week.
Marquez's extension signifies a successful transition from the previously troublesome Honda RC213V to the Ducati Desmosedici. His struggles with Honda are well documented, making this move to Gresini and subsequent adaptation to the Ducati a significant step forward.
While his 2024 teammate, and brother, Marc Marquez has been promoted to the factory Ducati squad next year, Gresini's rider line-up for 2025 remains under wraps.
Speaking on the extension, Alex Marquez emphasized his desire for consistency and his belief in the Gresini team: "Staying with Gresini was my main goal. Since I joined this team, my target has been to consistently get close to the best, and it's something I haven't achieved yet. The start of the season wasn't what we hoped for, but the team is strong and I know where we can go. So, I just want to thank Nadia [Padovani, Gresini Racing owner] for the trust, and I'm sure we'll soon repay her with some celebratory pineapple pizza."
Marquez's 2023 season with Gresini was a strong showing. He secured a podium in just his second race with the team (Argentina) and went on to add another podium finish in Malaysia along with two impressive sprint victories (Silverstone and Sepang). These results culminated in a career-best ninth-place finish in the championship.
The 2024 season hasn't seen those podium finishes yet, partly due to the significant advancements Ducati has made with their GP24 machine. However, Alex Marquez has displayed commendable consistency, finishing inside the top 10 in every race he's completed thus far. This consistency has him sitting comfortably in tenth place in the championship standings, just behind Aleix Espargaro on the factory Aprilia, with 62 points before the upcoming German Grand Prix.
Marquez's consistent finishes, combined with his brother Marc's dominant start to the season, have propelled the Gresini squad to a strong third place in the team's championship, trailing only the factory Ducati and Pramac teams.
Nadia Padovani, the owner of Gresini Racing, expressed her confidence in Marquez: "Alex is our pupil. Since he joined two years ago, the synergy between him and the team has been incredible and has strengthened with each race. We know his potential; he has already shown it and just needs consistency. Renewing with him was an obvious move for us because we are aware of his value both on and off the track. The results will come this year too, I am absolutely certain of it."
With this extension, Alex Marquez secures his MotoGP future for the next two seasons and looks to build on his strong performances alongside Gresini Racing. Whether he can find that elusive consistency and challenge for podiums remains to be seen, but one thing is certain - the partnership between Marquez and Gresini promises to be an exciting one to watch as MotoGP enters a new era.
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