ALEX MARQUEZ SAYS MARC’S RIDE-HEIGHT ERROR WAS A “HUGE MISTAKE” AFTER ARAGON WIN

The Aragon Grand Prix at MotorLand Aragon delivered a mixed weekend for the Marquez brothers, with Marc Marquez taking victory while Alex Marquez had to settle for fourth—and both results were shaped by a single early mistake.

Heading into Sunday, expectations were high for the two Spaniards to lead the way at a track that is often among Marc’s strongest. Those hopes were quickly complicated at the start of the race when Marc forgot to disengage his rear ride height device for Turn 1. The error meant his Ducati GP26 bottomed out through the opening corners, and Marc struggled to get the bike turned effectively in Turns 1 and 2. While Marc’s pace later proved enough to win, the early problem had immediate consequences for Alex, who finished 8.687s behind the winner and 5.058s off the podium.

Marc’s mistake also affected the race dynamics around Alex. The report noted that Alex was reluctant to send his bike down the inside at Turn 3, allowing Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi and Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez to move ahead. Marc himself was described as disappointed that his “mistake” cost Alex points, but Alex’s reaction after the chequered flag was strikingly different—he laughed at the situation when asked about what happened.

Alex said, “He made a huge mistake,” while laughing. He added that he initially thought Marc’s ride height device had broken, only to realise “he was the one who left it on.” Alex also reflected on the broader reality of racing, saying, “But we’re only human, and we all make mistakes. Sometimes I leave it on. These things happen.”

With Marc’s error creating an opening, Alex could have tried to capitalise more aggressively. However, the Gresini rider chose a cautious approach, explaining that he did not want to risk contact as Marc pushed to recover and take points back from his rivals. At the time of the race, Marc entered Aragon facing a 40-point deficit to Jorge Martin, and the outcome helped narrow that gap.

Despite Bezzecchi beating Marc to pole with a new lap record, the race itself followed a different script. Marc Marquez won the Aragon GP, while Martin’s best efforts were only enough for fifth in the Grand Prix. In the Sprint earlier, Marc had also been dominant, beating Alex by 1.140s, and then doubling up with Sunday’s win.

For Alex, the weekend still delivered a meaningful result in the context of the championship fight. He finished fourth, 3.885s clear of Martin, and remained well placed in the standings. Meanwhile, Marc’s recovery from the start-line issue allowed him to reduce his deficit to Martin to 19 points, and he rose back to second in the riders’ championship.