Motorcycle racer Marc Márquez has spoken out in support of his brother Álex after his victory in the TT Assen. The 32-year-old Spaniard is annoyed that his younger brother is being criticized for his racing style.
In the MotoGP standings, Álex is the closest challenger to leader Marc Márquez, trailing by 68 points. However, critics argue that there is hardly any competition between the brothers from Cervera, Catalonia.
Marc Márquez is bothered by this reporting. “Many people on social media, even a few journalists, want to tell me that my brother hardly attacks me and attacks others,” he said after his victory in Assen to the English sports channel TNT Sports. “That makes me angry, because there must be respect for the other riders.”
No one should doubt Álex Márquez’s will to win, emphasized older brother Marc. “He has the ambition and rides strong, which is why he is also second in the standings,” said the six-time world champion. “But today he couldn’t even attack me. If you keep defending well, no one can attack you.”
Marc Márquez also had to defend well himself in Assen. He led almost the entire race, with Italian Marco Bezzecchi close behind him. “Why didn’t he attack me then? I had to defend and I knew I was vulnerable in turns 11 and 12. That’s the fastest part. The circuit is narrow and if you defend well there, no one can attack you.”
Painful crashes for both brothers
For the Márquez family, it ultimately became a Sunday of extremes in Assen. Marc won his sixth race of the season and is well on his way to his seventh MotoGP title in his career. Álex crashed early and suffered a hand injury.
But Marc Márquez also did not emerge unscathed from the race weekend in Drenthe. On Friday, he crashed twice during practice. “Adrenaline has always been my medicine, the best painkiller there is,” he said.
“But now I’m taking two, three days to recover. My whole body hurts, especially my ribs, my finger, and my arm. Recovering from big crashes is very different at 32 than at twenty.”