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Jorge Lorenzo explains why Alex Marquez isn’t ready to challenge Marc Marquez

Originally posted on HITC | By David Comerford | Last updated Oct 31, 2025 10:03 AM ET

Marc Marquez will be starting his 2026 MotoGP title defence at a disadvantage. Following surgery, he won’t be able to test next year’s Ducati during the post-season session in Valencia.

That could give Francesco Bagnaia a bigger role in shaping the team’s direction, though with Ducati’s bike expected to remain largely unchanged from the GP25, his ongoing inconsistency might still be an issue.

At his best, Bagnaia is capable of beating Marquez, as he proved in Japan. But even so, he admits that Ducati are ‘in trouble’ and that he has a long way to go before reaching a competitive level.

Aprilia are on the rise too. Marco Bezzecchi has won three of the last five Sprint races and is leading Bagnaia in the fight for third place. And next season, a healthy Jorge Martin could also come into play.

Jorge Lorenzo doesn’t believe Alex Marquez will challenge for the 2026 MotoGP title

After securing second place in the Sepang Sprint, Alex Marquez clinched the runner-up position in the overall standings and went on to win the Grand Prix, marking his third victory of 2025.

With 23 podium finishes across both formats, he’s been the only rider to come close to matching his brother’s consistency this year. Alex will be on a factory-spec Ducati in 2026, which should make him a strong contender on paper.

Photo by Qian Jun/MB Media/Getty Images

But speaking on the Duralavita YouTube channel, MotoGP legend Jorge Lorenzo pushed back against colleague Ruben Xaus’ claim that Alex is a legitimate title threat. He believes the Gresini rider still makes too many mistakes.

Lorenzo isn’t convinced by comparisons between Alex and Andrea Dovizioso either. He has ‘technical’ reservations and feels it would take more than just form for the championship to shift between brothers.

“Tell me something where Alex Marquez is superior to Marc Marquez,” Lorenzo said. “Alex Marquez is still a rider who falls a lot. Don’t tell me otherwise. He falls a lot, less in the races this year, but in the years since he arrived in MotoGP, look at his falls, [even] the third or fourth year with Ducati. Numbers don’t deceive.

“[Marc Marquez makes errors] because he goes five-tenths faster than the others. If you go half a second slower, what good does it do not to fall?

“Tell me something technical where Alex Marquez is superior to Marc Marquez. You won’t find it. He’s not a Dovizioso who never falls. He is not technical; he is not faster in braking and does more cornering. He’s better in right-hand turns.”

“Maybe at a specific point of a corner, Alex can be 2km/h faster, but in terms of overall cornering speed and acceleration… I don’t see him having a stronger point than Marc.”

Alex Marquez’s crash record in 2025

Lorenzo’s criticism of Marquez’s crash record isn’t without basis. The 29-year-old has failed to finish four races so far this season.

He struggled with the conditions at Le Mans, got caught up in incidents in Assen and Brno, and pushed too hard in Barcelona. To his credit, riders like Bagnaia, Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta have all had more DNFs, with numbers ranging from five to seven.

Lorenzo still believes Acosta is Marquez’s biggest threat because of his youth and natural ability. Even though the KTM rider hasn’t won a race yet, he’s shown greater consistency as the season has progressed and could take another step forward next year.

Some believe Fabio Quartararo is the only other top-level talent on the grid but right now he doesn’t have a Yamaha strong enough to back it up.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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