Alex Marquez warns Marco Bezzecchi not to count Marc Marquez out of 2026 MotoGP title race

Despite holding a 44-point lead over factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez after four rounds of racing, Marco Bezzecchi ‘can’t underestimate’ the #93 according to Alex Marquez.

Marco Bezzecchi has made an impressive start to the season, winning three of the first four Grand Prix races.

Despite missing out on victory at Jerez, where Alex Marquez took the win, a second-place finish helped Bezzecchi add valuable points and stretch his lead at the top.

Marc Marquez, meanwhile, hasn’t looked like his usual self so far. He’s still dealing with some physical setbacks after breaking his collarbone late last year, which hasn’t helped his consistency.

Ducati’s star man is currently sitting in fifth place in the standings, with Fabio Di Giannantonio leading the way for Borgo Panigale at this early stage.

But even with that slow start, Alex Marquez is one who thinks you should never write off a seven-time world champion when it comes to staying in the hunt for another title. The Pramac Racing rider finished third in Jerez behind both championship contenders and claimed that Marc shouldn’t be ruled out just yet.

Speaking to Cadena SER after his victory at the Spanish Grand Prix, Alex Marquez shared his thoughts on how the championship picture is shaping up early in the season.

Coming into 2026, many expected Marc to be the one to beat again after last year’s title win. But four rounds in, it’s Marco Bezzecchi who has taken control of the standings.

When asked if he still views Marc as the favourite, Alex said, “According to the current standings, it’s Bezzecchi, but Marc is one of those riders who, even if he’s 100 points ahead, you can’t underestimate.”

“In a single weekend, you have 37 points up for grabs. It’s not like before when you had 25 and you could take your chances…

“Last year I was close to him; he strung together seven consecutive sprint-race victories and what do you do? I checked. I was 20 points behind and when I checked again, he was 120.

“With 22 races to go,” he added. “You always have to take Marc into account because that gap is nothing with this new scoring system.”

One advantage Marc Marquez still holds over Marco Bezzecchi is his experience. Marquez, a seven-time world champion, has been through plenty of high-pressure situations, while Bezzecchi is still untested in that regard.

Sylvain Guintoli has expressed doubt about whether Bezzecchi can handle the mental side of a title race as well as Marquez. He expects the pressure to build later in the season and wonders how the Italian will respond.

Dani Pedrosa, meanwhile, expects the battle between them to become more psychological as the season goes on. He believes Bezzecchi will need to be mentally sharp to keep up with whatever challenges Marquez throws his way.

With just four rounds gone in 2026, there’s already every sign that this could be one of the more memorable title races once we hit the second half of the year.

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