Alex Marquez: “I saw plus zero Marc and said ‘f***, now what do I do?’”
Alex Marquez's jubilant reaction to ꦑsharing podium wit🌸h his brother
Alex Marquez has given his delighted response to sharing the podium at th💮e German MotoGP with brother Marc Marquez.
Jorge Martin crashed out of the lead, surrendering the victory and the championship ini🔴tiative to Peಌcco Bagnaia at the Sachsenring on Sunday.
Marc was promoted a place into P2, as a result🔯 of ✅Martin’s crash, while it gave Alex the chance to complete the podium.
The Gresini Ducati celebrations were wild as their two riders - the Marquez brothers - each finished on the rostr𝕴um.
A thrilled Alex told TNT Sports about scrapping with the front-runners in Germany: “It wasn’t easy to be with the front and🐽 rear tyre in the perfect time.
“I sa𝄹w plus z✨ero Marc and said ‘f***, now what do I do?’
“Later on, when I saw Martin’s crash - I am sorry for him♉ - my body was shaking.
“I saw Franco Morbidelli stopped Enea Bastianini. So we💟 were were lucky for that.”
The scrap between factory Ducati rider Bastianini and Pramac’s🅘 Morbidelli༒ gave Alex the extra impetus to follow his brother onto the podium.
It meant the two Gresini rid𓂃♏ers - on GP23s - beat GP24 riders Bastianini and Morbidelli.
Alex described his race: “Everybody was trying to save tyres. It was a lap of management, trying not to use the ꦦrear tyre.
“Later, I struggled to overtake Morbidelli.”
He said about the difference between the bikes: “They have more in some areas - in the braking and going in - which is where you neꩵed 💯to pass…”
Alex later added: “A really good day for us. An𝐆 unexpected podium for me. Before, I said P7 was a real target because we didn’t have the༺ pace.
“But we made changes which worked really well.
“I was losingཧ too much with Franco Morbidelli. I wasn’t able to take the slipstream from Pecco.
“I’m ꧂happy to shℱare the podium from Marc. But, when Jorge crashed, my body was shaking. I didn’t know what to make [of it].
“I watched the big screen for where Enea was because🗹 we know, in the last laps, he is so fast. I tried to control until the end because I was on the limit with the tyres.”
Alex was asked to score 🎉his season out of 10, after his standout result of the year.
“Until yester🅘day, it was a 6,” he said. “Today 6-and-a-half with the podium!
“We weren’t fast enough at the beginning of the s🐻eason, only in Jerez. The race pace wasn’t aꦿs we need it to be.
“Today we had a good rhythm. Ho𝓰pefully we can turn around the situation and be fast until the end.”
The Germanཧ MotoGP was Alex’s third podium since joining ꦇGresini.
Last year, he was third in Argentina and second in Malaysia, while he also won the sprint races in Malaysia and꧅ Silverstone.
This year, after being joined in t⭕he Gresini box by his esteemed brother, he has had to wait until the Sachsenring to return to the podium.
James was a sports journalist atꦉ Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
