Gresini MotoGP rider Alex Marquez says this weekend’s French Grand Prix begins with “three actually essential weekends” to see if his successful kind within the race at Jerez is real.
The 2025 championship runner-up defeated Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi on the final Spanish Grand Prix, breaking Ducati’s 2026 season win drought.
This was a giant turnaround for Alex Marquez, who had struggled to compete for a podium spot within the opening three races.
He described the victory as an “essential” win for himself and Ducati, and believes this weekend’s French Grand Prix, and the next rounds in Catalunya and Italy, will probably be essential in proving whether or not his Jerez kind is real.
“That weekend was nice for us,” he stated at Le Mans on Thursday.
“I received my pace again, however particularly the sensation I had in 2025.
“I used to be in a position to experience very well.
“So it may be a extremely good take a look at right here, in addition to Montmelo and Mugello, and it may be three crucial weekends for us to check whether or not that feeling that we had in Jerez and that efficiency is only for someday or whether or not we will keep it all through the season.
“So we’ll do our greatest. I feel we took a step ahead within the Jerez take a look at and I feel we’re even stronger.”
“However we have to see it on a distinct monitor than Jerez.
“We need to maintain this momentum going so long as we will and react little by little.
“It’s true that the Jerez take a look at was a lift for me, for the entire group and for Ducati as properly.
“So after a extremely powerful begin to the season, that was essential. So, we’re there and it seems to be like we’re again, however there’s nonetheless lots to substantiate.”
Alex Marquez defined what GP26 lacked when it comes to feeling earlier than the Spanish Grand Prix, including:
“It is true that my using fashion did not assist in that respect both.
“And in GP24, I missed and misplaced slightly little bit of time in that regard.
“However this 12 months, I felt even worse at that time and the distinction was even larger.
“From Jerez it appeared like we had been in a position to get the same feeling to final 12 months, and we had been in a position to make the distinction once more in different elements of being quick, akin to traction and apexes.
“At this level, we really feel like we’re in the same scenario with the 24-year bike.”
