Marc Marquez looked set to claim a memorable win at the Spanish Grand Prix, but his crash may have cost him more than just the race itself.

Marquez started from pole and had shown strong pace throughout the weekend, but an early fall in the race ended any hopes he had of taking victory.

Alex held onto that lead for the rest of the race, picking up his second consecutive win at Jerez.

Marquez’s strong performance in the sprint race had raised expectations that he would be back to his best with a win at Jerez.

But this result may have done more than just end hopes for one day returning to championship glory. It may have sealed it shut entirely.

Going into the Spanish Grand Prix, Marc Marquez had picked up 45 points, putting him fourth in the standings and 36 points behind championship leader Marco Bezzecchi.

Following a strong sprint win and with Bezzecchi failing to pick up any points, Marquez cut that gap to 24. That gave him a real opportunity to make further ground with a strong result at Jerez.

However, after Marquez crashed out and failed to finish while Bezzecchi claimed second place, the gap has now widened to 44 points between them.

That left Marquez gaining just one point on Bezzecchi over the weekend, and he also slipped down a spot in the standings, overtaken by Pedro Acosta to fifth.

This season has already been disrupted by injuries for Marquez, and closing that kind of deficit won’t be easy. The physical toll of his recent years is starting to show.

The plan for many was that Marquez’s title push would kick off in Spain. Instead, it appears any serious title ambitions may have ended just as quickly as they began.

Heading into the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, Marc Marquez had earned 45 points to start the season, sitting in fourth place with a 36-point gap behind Marco Bezzecchi, the current championship leader.

A sprint victory cut that deficit to 24 points after Bezzecchi failed to score. It looked like Marquez had an opening to close it further with a strong showing at Jerez.

However, after Marquez’s crash and DNF, combined with Bezzecchi earning second place in the race, there is now a 44-point gap between the two riders.

The reigning world champion faces another uphill battle – not only has he struggled this season due to injuries, but he is yet again behind in points early on. That was certainly felt in his post-race remarks:

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Alex Marquez admits he’s baffled by the secret move behind Marc’s Jerez Sprint triumph

Francesco Bagnaia puts Michael Laverty’s ‘harsh’ verdict on Marquez’s Jerez maneuver in perspective