Álex Márquez held back from attacking Marc despite having the pace

“I had the speed to attack Marc, but it was far too risky,” Álex Márquez said after the Australian Grand Prix Sprint at Phillip Island. The rider was very satisfied with his second place, while explaining why he chose not to try to pass his brother in the closing stages.

Speaking to DAZN, Márquez discussed his pace, his fight with Jorge Martín and his chances against Marc late in the race. He also described starting with limited reference points on the soft rear tyre, having worked with the medium compound the previous day. The change gave him an extra edge, but it took time to find his footing. Contact with Zarco, followed by a battle with Pedro Acosta, also shaped his race.

Márquez said he was then able to ride very quickly, but at the cost of putting heavy demands on the tyre. He felt a little short at the finish and said he was surprised by the pace and feel he had found. He explained that his decision to attack depended on who his opponent was: Marc is fighting for the title, and the brothers share the same brand. An attack had seemed safe earlier, but no longer in the closing stages. Márquez therefore chose to maintain his pace and reach the finish.

The rider also described the gaps between the competitors as a matter of detail. In his view, Jorge was particularly strong in the final sector, where Márquez was struggling more. He pointed to the front tyre’s behaviour and the different sensations, while saying Marc and Ducati were stronger in other sections. “It’s pretty close; it will come down to details, and those details have to be taken care of,” he said.

Rain could shape what comes next. Márquez said that if it arrived, the priority would be to reach the finish, and described a wet race as more unpredictable. He plans to be cautious, assess his feel in the wet and then set a realistic target for the longer race.