Alex Marquez sampled a 2025-spec Ducati aero package in practice for MotoGP’s Valencia Grand Prix, ahead of his first outing on the new GP26 in Tuesday’s post-season test.
The Gresini rider has been racing the year-old GP24 this season, but ventured on track on Friday with a visibly revised bike.
The younger Marquez spent a large portion of the day testing the upgrades, the same aero package run by factory Ducati riders this season, before reverting to a more familiar configuration for time attacks later in the afternoon.
The 29-year-old will continue to compare the two aero specifications in the remaining practice sessions before deciding which version to race in the sprint and Sunday’s grand prix.
Marquez explained that the team chose to let him try the aero package earlier than planned because of the cold temperatures forecast for Tuesday’s post-season Valencia test
“I tried the aero. The plan was to try [it] on Tuesday. But already we have started trying a few things over the weekend because Tuesday will be quite a cold day, and we won’t have a lot of hours on track with a good temperature,” he explained.
“We need to anticipate some things, so we can focus more on the important things during the test on Tuesday.”
Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Marquez ended the day fourth on the timesheets, just over two tenths off the pace set by Pedro Acosta on the factory KTM.
The Spaniard admitted that testing the new aero took the focus away from the usual set-up work on Friday, but stressed that he is happy to try new parts now that he has wrapped up second place in the riders’ standings.
“We focused more on trying different packages and not extracting the potential from the bike [or] improving our set-up, so tomorrow we’ll have double work,” he said.
“I’m trying a few things because I’m more relaxed, I don’t fight for nothing now in the championship, so I can try the things and I’m enjoying it. Trying [new] things is something that I like, so tomorrow we’ll focus again on some packages — I will decide which one and then we’ll try to extract [the most from it].”
Marquez didn’t offer a proper assessment of the aero package raced by his brother Marc Marquez, Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio di Giannantonio this season, but said it was easier to push knowing those parts were already proven by Ducati’s factory trio.
“It’s different. It’s one aero that already the three official guys tried during the season, but they [Ducati] wanted more information, they also wanted other common riders [to try them],” he said.
«Since these are things that have already been tested by other riders, you’re not as cautious because you know those parts work and that they’re not going to do anything unexpected. You’re a bit more confident.”
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