Ducati: Marc Marquez Unveils His Plan for the World Championship

Marc Marquez is still among the frontrunners at MotorLand Alcañiz. The Spanish rider for the factory Ducati team finished third in pre-qualifying for the 2026 Aragon Grand Prix—the 13th round of the MotoGP season—confirming his excellent rapport with the Spanish circuit. During the session, the nine-time world champion also managed to break the previous track record, but in the time attack he was edged out by a few hundredths of a second by his brother Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi on his Aprilia.

It was nonetheless a positive result for the star rider from Cervera, who appeared competitive from the very start and was determined to make the most of one of the tracks that best suits his riding style. At the end of pre-qualifying, Marquez emphasized the importance of immediately securing a top position, especially given his standing in the world championship standings: “I finished third today; there were two riders who were faster than me, but we worked well, I feel good, and I’m having fun on the bike. This track suits my riding style, and if I want to have even the slightest chance of fighting for this World Championship, I need to score as close to the maximum 37 points as possible—or at least finish ahead of my championship rivals—because there will be tracks coming up where they’ll be stronger,” stated the Ducati rider.

A comment that clearly illustrates Marquez’s goal for the Aragon weekend: to minimize the margin left to his direct competitors in the title race and try to take advantage of a circuit that’s particularly well-suited to his riding style. The Spanish rider also took stock of his physical condition, a particularly important factor ahead of a weekend that could require a great deal of energy: “If the three of us lapped below the track record, it means we’re going very fast. Physically, I’m at an acceptable level and I’m ready. Every day I try to reach the maximum potential my body allows.”