Alex Marquez back on top at Jerez: “I won’t lie, we needed it”

After enduring the biggest points drop of any rider so far in 2026, Alex Marquez returned to form in style during Friday practice for his home Spanish MotoGP.

The Gresini rider, now running factory Ducati machinery, has scored 59 fewer points than at the same stage last year to sit eighth in the standings, without a podium.

But the extended break since COTA allowed Alex Marquez and his team to analyse their struggles and arrive at Jerez, where he took an emotional maiden MotoGP victory last season, with a revised plan.

The most visible technical change was Ducati’s updated rear aero, first introduced by the factory team in the USA, alongside electronic tweaks aimed at improving braking and corner entry.

But Francesco Bagnaia also hinted at an additional unspecified ‘modification’ that Alex Marquez had been using.

Marquez said only that “we started the day with the 2025 setup and things were immediately easy”, but also emphasised a change in mentality.

“Really important day for us. I won’t lie, we needed it,” Alex told MotoGP.com. 

“We were able to analyse a lot of things in these four weeks and also change a little bit the mind and the approach to the weekend, thinking less on the negative points and taking more profit on the positives.

“It’s true that I love Jerez, but everything came in a really easy way, and that it was so important.”

That was underlined when Alex turned down the chance to go for a second time attack.

“I didn’t even put in the last soft on the rear. I said, it’s OK, we will work for the long race, and I was able to make again 36.6,” he said.

“So we’re on the page, I’m in good shape, but we need to be really keep the focus, because tomorrow other people will make a step more, and we need to also.

“We’ve seen the domination of Aprilia, so we cannot relax.

“it will be important to fight for the pole position, and then try to be really focused for the sprint.”

Team-mate Fermin Aldeguer also secured direct qualifying access, in eighth.

Meanwhile, Jorge Martin received a three-place grid penalty for obstructing Alex Marquez in the closing minutes of the afternoon session.