New Headline: Street Smarts Triumph: Alex Marquez Scales Ducati Dominance
Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images Alex Marquez hasn’t had the easiest start to the 2026 MotoGP season, and former team boss Francesco Guidotti has already issued a reminder about what’s expected of him now that he’s riding for the factory Ducati team. Last year was a breakthrough season for Alex Marquez. He picked up his first top-class win and even worked his way into the title race, eventually finishing second in the standings.
It was enough to catch Ducati’s attention, earning him a spot on their factory team for this year. Marc Marquez may have been on another level entirely, but Alex’s rise didn’t go unnoticed. His performances with Gresini were enough to convince Ducati he was ready for a factory seat in 2026.
The move is seen as an important one by many, but it also comes with increased expectations. As such, Guidotti has warned that things will be different under new boss Mauro Grassilli, and Alex must perform at a higher level than before. Francesco Guidotti says Ducati are holding Alex Marquez to a higher standard in 2026 Photo by Qian Jun/MB Media/Getty Images Speaking to Speedweek, former KTM team boss Francesco Guidotti weighed in on Ducati’s showing at the opening round in Thailand and took the opportunity to caution Alex Marquez about what’s expected of him this season.
Guidotti was quick to highlight the strong pace of the VR46 pairing of Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli, who finished as Ducati’s top riders in sixth and eighth place. “The VR46 riders were also right there in terms of speed. Only the results didn’t reflect that.
[Di Giannantonio] also had a minor technical problem that held him back, and Morbidelli, starting from 19th place after a very poor start, put in one of his best races – the pace of both was competitive. ” Meanwhile, Alex Marquez failed to finish after crashing out on lap 21. That came on the back of an 11th-place finish in Saturday’s Sprint race, leaving him without a point heading into round two.