Gresini’s Alex Marquez has admitted he still can’t wrap his head around how Ducati rider Marc Marquez always finds an edge in the wet, after his “lucky” Sprint victory at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Marc clinched his second Sprint win of the 2026 season at Jerez, but luck played a part. While running second behind Alex Marquez, he crashed at the last corner but was able to cut across the track and enter the pit lane as a result.
Even though Marc got off to a quick start and built an early lead, it was Alex who looked stronger once he got past LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco. By halfway through the race, Alex had moved ahead with a clean move around Turn 8.
Rain began to fall shortly after Marc tried to keep pace with Alex, and both riders decided to stay out on slick tyres. The rain worsened quickly, leading to crashes for both: Marc went down at the final corner on Lap 8, followed by Alex at Turn 8 just moments later.
Marc Marquez avoided a penalty for cutting across the track at Jerez, as he had already decided to pit for his second bike following his crash. Alex believes his brother benefited from the timing of his fall at the final corner.
While Marc’s result may have involved a bit of good fortune, Alex still recognised that it was another reminder of what makes him such a tough competitor.
“I don’t know how he does it, but every time these conditions are present, he’s there,” Alex said. “So, I don’t believe so much in luck, but in how skilful he is in very difficult situations. But today he did [get lucky].
“Sometimes he’s taken a risk, and it’s paid off very well, but not today. Today he crashed. And as a result of the crash, things went well for him. So today luck was on his side.”
“Other times it wasn’t because he’s the one who has made the decisions in all situations we’ve seen with Honda,” Alex continued.
“Especially in those flag-to-flag races where he won by many seconds, finding the right moment to change. But today it was destiny.”
Marc Marquez has built a reputation for excelling in flag-to-flag races throughout his MotoGP career, but at Jerez, he admitted that choosing to stay out on slicks—a call mirroring Alex Marquez—was a mistake that nearly cost him the win.
It was Alex who first braved the worsening conditions while leading the Spanish GP Sprint. Seeing his brother stay out, Marc decided to do the same, only for the move to backfire as others made better-timed pit stops. Even so, he benefited from fewer rivals having pitted at that stage.
Marc explained, via Motorsport.com: “I should have used my experience and come in earlier to change bikes. But I saw that Alex was still on track, and I made the mistake of following him.”
As conditions deteriorated further, Marc’s crash came at a fortunate time compared to those who delayed their switch another lap. Though he dropped down to 17th after pitting, he climbed up to second once Fermin Aldeguer and Brad Binder crashed and others headed into the pit lane.
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