Alex Marquez “doesn’t care” about his MotoGP critics after Argentina podium

The Gresini Ducati rider qualified on pole for the first time in his MotoGP career after gambling on slicks on a drying track at Rio Honda last Saturday.

While he was only able to finish fifth in the sprint race, Marquez ran in the podium places throughout the 25-lap rain-hit Argentina GP and scored his first MotoGP rostrum since the 2020 Aragon GP.

After two difficult years with LCR Honda in 2021 and 2022, Marquez was tipped by many in the pre-season to return to the front of the field on the satellite Ducati.

Asked whether he feels he is proving critics wrong after a strong start to the 2023 season, the younger Marquez brother said: “I don’t care what the people think. I believe in myself, I believed I was making the right choice to choose Ducati and the Gresini team.

“I chose that option because I said ‘Ok, I don’t want an excuse, I want to be with the best bike, with a proper team’. Gresini is a proper team, they are so professional, and that’s it.

“I will depend on me, so this is like it is. But it’s just the second round, things can change a lot, we are in a constant progression and it’s the most positive thing.”

Though Marquez was fast throughout winter testing and carried that form over to the opening two rounds of the 2023 campaign, he admits his results so far have far exceeded his expectations.

“I couldn’t imagine a start like this with Gresini and Ducati,” he added.

“I feel really good on the bike, I felt really good with the team. Still, I’m not riding in the best way for the Ducati and it’s where I need to work a little bit more.

“But day by day we are doing better things, and like I said in every GP there will be 37 points to achieve.

“It will be a long way and it will change the championship a lot. So, we just need to stay there and get our opportunities.”