Alex Marquez believes his brother Marc Marquez will face a tougher challenge in the MotoGP title fight at several upcoming rounds, with Aprilia expected to be particularly strong at circuits such as Phillip Island, Qatar and Portimao.
Factory Ducati rider Marc Marquez finished sixth in the Indonesian Grand Prix, 10.7 seconds behind race winner Marco Bezzecchi, as Aprilia claimed the top four positions in a grand prix for the first time in its history.
The result underlined the challenge facing the Ducati rider in his bid to secure the world championship, with Aprilia's Jorge Martin emerging as his main rival. The Noale-based manufacturer has already begun considering team orders to strengthen its title challenge.
Marc was the first Ducati rider across the line in Mandalika, finishing 6.1 seconds ahead of his younger brother Alex, who rides for Gresini. Alex has struggled to reproduce the form that earned him second place in last year's championship, when he finished over 100 points ahead of third-placed Bezzecchi.
The Gresini rider identified the rear tyre construction as a major factor behind Ducati's difficulties in Indonesia.
“We struggled a lot with this rear casing, a different tyre [reinforced, but less so than in Austria or Japan]," he said.
"I expected to struggle a little less on Sunday with the medium, but it was the other way around and we struggled more than on Saturday with the soft.
“We couldn’t maintain the pace and then the rear tyre dropped off a lot. We need to be a little patient; we won’t have this casing again until… never, we’ve said goodbye to it for good”, he said, referring to the change of tyre supplier next year and the fact that the reinforced casing will not be used at any of the remaining circuits this year.
“That said, it’s true that the Aprilias are flying too, so we have to keep pushing."
Marc Marquez, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images
Marc Marquez left Indonesia with 22 points from the weekend, the same tally as championship leader Jorge Martin, who retained a two-point advantage in the standings.
Given Ducati's expectations for a circuit that has traditionally been difficult for Marc, limiting the damage had been the priority.
“He saved it, without a doubt. I wouldn’t call it a ‘victory’, but he came through a circuit that was difficult for him, a draw, 22 points for each of them”, Alex said of Marc Marquez.
The title battle remains finely poised, but Alex expects Aprilia to pose a significant threat at several upcoming rounds.
“The fight for the title is going to be wide open, although there are circuits coming up, especially Australia, Qatar and Portimao, where Aprilia could be very strong. Marc will have to perform his juggling act”, he said, referring to getting through weekends like the one at Mandalika.
With Aprilia boasting four competitive riders, Alex Marquez believes Ducati may also need to impose team orders to boost his elder brother's title chances.
“Well, you can see that at Aprilia they have things pretty clear: they want the title and they’re talking to all the riders," the 29-year-old said.
"So I think Ducati’s moment will come [to do the same] but it’s still a little early, although there are only a few races left, and when we’re in the thick of the fight, we’ll assess everything every Sunday."
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