The Márquez Alentà brothers are already preparing for the party they have for each other at the end of the month in Cervera. Marc, new world champion, does it between rehabilitation and gym sessions after injuring his damned right arm in Indonesia. Álex, second place and the first mortal, as his father says, to enjoy the bike without pressure in the last two Grands Prix of the route. This weekend at the Portuguese GP, and the following one, the return to Valencia after the damage, where they will take the stage together dressed in gala and share another unique moment. The photo for the living room. November 22nd will be the day of the last fireworks in the streets of their hometown, where they will share with friends, family and fans the celebration of their unprecedented double at the top of MotoGP.
“It’s a pride to see Marc and Álex so united, as always, now that they are at the top. It’s not easy knowing that they compete in a sport where only one can win and everyone is a rival. It’s nice, and we already know that not all brothers are capable of getting along so well,” says Julià, the children’s father, in a chat with EL PAÍS in paddock from Portimão. “Sometimes they ask us how they ended up like this and we don’t have a clear answer. Of course, we have tried to educate them as we know how, but like all parents, we will have made mistakes. The most important thing is that their behavior is exemplary, on and off the pitch, and as a family we can’t ask for more,” he adds.
The Márquez brothers are not the first to share glory among the elite of their sport, but their achievement transcends their achievements on the asphalt. “The image of sportsmanship that they have shown to the world is admirable. It is not at all easy to have a relationship as good as theirs when it comes to a rival for the title. Even if they are brothers, there are always moments of tension, because on the track there is a lot at stake and the adrenaline runs wild,” says Aleix Espargaró, who for many years shared the grid with his brother Pol. “Just getting to MotoGP is extremely complicated, but to dominate as they both did this year is historic, a unique result. So for me the message of his feat is clear: we must never forget what comes first, that is, family”, concludes the rider, now a Honda tester.
“He’s as happy for me as I am for him, but let’s save our energy for the party in Cervera,” says the second-place finisher about his first meeting with Marc after finishing work at the Malaysian GP. “When you experience a moment like this it’s hard to believe it. It’s a strange feeling. We’ll realize what we’ve achieved in a few years, calm and with a beer in hand, watching the moment on TV on the sofa at home”, he adds.
The Márquez brothers scored six doubles on Sunday, with five wins for Marc and another for Álex. Overall for the season, the 93 achieved 11 victories in 17 Grands Prix contested, while the 73 uncorked its record and accumulated three victories in its sixth year in MotoGP. 14 victories with their surnames in a 22-race championship. “The truth is that we cannot ask for more. We have enjoyed every moment of this season, with several doubles and podiums. And we must know how to enjoy it, because it can be an unrepeatable moment in our lives”, says the youngest of the family.
Álex has said in the past the same thing that the Espargarós or Luca Marini, Honda rider and brother of Valentino Rossi, also say about competing alongside their brothers: that many would do it. Marc also emphasized in this course that the benefits of this magnificent and exemplary fraternal relationship do not go in just one direction. They both understand and complement each other delightfully, as José Luis Martínez and José Carrión, their assistants on the circuits and best friends outside of them, well remember.
The little one was present in the hardest moments of the older man’s injury, and was the first to believe this year in the rebirth and reconquest of the seven-time MotoGP champion. “Any other rider would have thrown in the towel, but he never gave up. I was convinced that when he recovered from his injuries and had a minimally competitive bike, he would fight for victories and titles again,” Álex recalled in Japan. Marc, for his part, has always firmly defended the talent and merits of a champion of the intermediate categories, capable of supporting the burden of being “brother of” throughout his life: “If he had another surname he would be valued much more. Álex is capable of anything, and the story isn’t over yet.”
The Williams and the Schumachers, mirrors with shades
The relationship with Márquez is comparable to that shared by other sporting icons of their time, although perhaps devoid, for now, of notable friction on the track. The Schumachers, for example, have managed to win even at the top of motorsport. Michael, a seven-time Formula 1 world champion, loved being a mechanic for Ralf, who was six years younger, since he was a child. And it is a tribute to the history of the Márquez family, since Álex started with motorbikes wanting to be Marc’s technician.
The Schumachers, yes, had a slightly more tumultuous relationship as they grew up and met on the racetracks. “Michael sometimes turns his brain off,” Ralf once said after an unrestricted overtaking on his older brother in Monaco. “I wasn’t on a trip,” the man replied without hesitation. Kaiser. In 2001, at the Canadian GP, they both scored a double that would make history, a memory that the boy still retains: “It was something incredible, a unique sensation for us and for our parents. That day we had a big party.” In total there were five doubles and 16 podiums together during their respective careers.
Even in tennis, the Williams sisters have faced each other on numerous occasions, duels in which they suffered psychologically due to the strange mix of emotions that one feels in seeking victory against someone who one would always like to see win. “She’s your sister and you want her to lose… it’s something that doesn’t feel good to the soul,” Serena, with $23,000 in her pocket, acknowledged in her time. They faced each other in 31 professional matches, with a score of 19-12 (9-3 in the finals of the tournament) in favor of the little one in the saga. “The family factor was complex to manage. In front of me was my little sister and obviously I wanted her to win too”, recalled Venus, winner of 14 Slams.
His recommendation to future parents, among other things, is to enroll their children in different sports, because among children “there can be no healthy competition.” In it paddockApparently the thesis is not so clear. Marc and Álex, for example, never stopped having fun competing together in everything: seeing who is the fastest to reach the summit on a bicycle, seeing who wins the next game on the video game console. And of course, let’s see who will win the next race. In 2026 they will ride the exact same bike and love the challenge.
