Fresh off a commanding win at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, Alex Marquez admitted even he was surprised by the scale of his dominance at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix.
The Gresini Racing MotoGP rider delivered a near-perfect performance, converting a fifth-place start into a controlled victory—his and Ducati’s first win of the season—yet was left puzzled by the sudden turnaround in form.
After struggling in the opening rounds of the 2026 campaign aboard the Ducati GP26, Marquez arrived in Jerez without high expectations.
But from Friday onward, something clicked.
“What happened? Good question… I don’t have the answers,” Marquez admitted.
“I think it’s something magic, Jerez. From Friday, I was flying. I don’t know why, honestly.”
Despite ongoing concerns about the bike’s braking performance, the Spaniard extracted maximum performance when it mattered most.
Starting from fifth on the grid, Marquez wasted no time asserting himself in Sunday’s race.
By Lap 2, he had already surged into the lead after overtaking Marc Marquez, before settling into a relentless rhythm that no rival could match.
His ability to replicate his strong Friday race pace proved decisive, as he gradually built a gap and controlled the race to the finish.
Marquez revealed that the key to his performance was a mental reset—focusing on strengths rather than limitations.
“I rode over the problems… just focusing on the positive things,” he explained.
“This bike has many positives, but we couldn’t extract them in the first three races.”
That shift in mindset, combined with precise execution, allowed him to deliver what he described as the “perfect plan.”
Despite the breakthrough victory, Marquez insists there is no time to relax.
With post-race testing scheduled, the team will look to understand the sudden performance leap and build consistency moving forward.
“We have many things to try… many directions to follow,” he said.
“With the base we had today, we can fight in the next race—but now we need to analyse everything.”
The win could mark a pivotal moment in Marquez’s 2026 campaign—transforming early-season struggles into genuine title contention.
But the Spaniard remains cautious, aware that one standout weekend must now translate into sustained performance.
Credit Photo : MotoGP
