MARC MARQUEZ SAYS ARAGON START DEVICE ERROR WAS HIS FAULT AFTER AFFECTING ALEX

Marc Marquez described the Aragon Grand Prix as a “difficult Sunday” that he ultimately turned into a dominant win, but not without a costly early mistake that affected his brother, Alex Marquez. Speaking to MotoGP’s media team after the race, the reigning world champion said he got the first corner right, only for the problem to arrive immediately after the start when he failed to deactivate his rear-shot device.

Marquez explained that the device was activated before he left the back straight, and that he rode the opening phase with it still engaged. “Yes, it was my fault that I missed to deactivate it,” he said. “When I go out from Turn 1, it was on, and I did just three or four corners with the rear device engaged, and I lost a lot of time.” He added that the consequences were visible even on video, noting that “sparks were everywhere.”

While Marc’s own race recovered—he dropped to P3 after Jorge Martin capitalised on his faulty start—he said the rider who lost the most from the error was Alex. “Even now, I watched the video, and sparks were everywhere. The rider that missed more from my mistake was Alex, my brother, so I’m disappointed for this,” Marquez said. He acknowledged that the friction created by the rear device affected Alex’s race as well, even though both brothers still managed strong results.

In the closing stages, Marc found a rhythm that allowed him to push harder, particularly over the final 10 laps, and he ultimately won the Aragon GP. Alex Marquez finished fourth, narrowly missing out on a podium that Marc’s mistake had helped deny him. “We were able to win, and especially in that last 10 laps, I pushed a bit more,” Marc said.

Marquez also reflected on how he understood the situation in real time. “Of course, when you do the mistake, you try to understand what’s going on. I understand immediately,” he said. He pointed out that the danger of the situation was real, explaining that it was easy to crash because “the footrest is touching the ground.”

Beyond the early incident, Marc’s afternoon was defined by an intense fight with Marco Bezzecchi. Marquez called the duel “amazing,” highlighting the speed and the aerodynamic effects at play. “That was amazing! With all that aerodynamics, at 340 km/h, more or less, there was one point that each bike was sacking!” he said. He described how, during the battle, the bikes behaved in a way that made it difficult to interpret what was happening from the saddle: “I tried to go on the right side, but the bike was going on the left side.”

He also referenced the replay to illustrate just how close the machines were to the limit. “Even if you check the replay, it was so wheely in sixth gear; that is something impossible, as a rider, to understand,” Marquez said, adding that it was fortunate the spectacle didn’t turn dangerous for either rider.

The win followed Marc’s success in the Aragon Sprint the day before, and he made it two-for-two against one of his key title rivals. With the result, Marc moved to within 18 points of Jorge Martin and climbed to second in the championship standings, turning Aragon into a major confidence boost.

For Alex, the day ended with a top-four finish, but Marc’s own admission left the clear impression that the podium was within reach—had the rear device been switched off in time.