Marc and Alex will team up at Gresini Racing in 2024, and will be hopeful of repeating a feat that has been achieved just twice in the World Championship.
After weeks of speculation, it has finally become official: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) will be racing under the Gresini Racing MotoGP™ banner in 2024. It’s not just a major coup, but also a historic move, as it’s a rare chance to witness two riding side by side in MotoGP™.
In fact, the first time it happened was when Marc and Alex joined the Repsol Honda Team for the 2020 season. Sadly, their partnership was cut short due to Marc’s humerus injury in Jerez, while Alex then switched to LCR Honda the following year. 2024 however marks a remarkable reunion of the brothers at Gresini, offering them a fantastic opportunity to make up for lost time!
Many sets of brothers have found themselves in MotoGP™.
Looking back over the past few years, it quickly becomes evident that having two brothers on the MotoGP™ grid is far from unusual. In fact, since the 2014 season and the arrival of Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Racing Factory Tech3) alongside his older brother Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) in the premier class, there has always been at least one pair of brothers in the MotoGP™ category. In 2020, it was the turn of the Marquez brothers to grace the scene. Alex (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), as the Moto2™ World Champion, made the leap to MotoGP™, following in the footsteps of his older brother Marc, who already boasted six MotoGP™ titles.
Brothers in arms
The subsequent year witnessed MotoGP™ legend Valentino Rossi concluding his illustrious career in the elite motorcycling league, racing alongside his younger brother Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), who was a rookie in the category at the time. Then, in the 2022 season, we saw Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) sharing the track with his older brother Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).
Successful siblings
Motorcycle Grand Prix racing has always featured great pairs of brothers, some of whom have made more history than others. Since the inception of the World Championship in 1949, only two pairs of brothers have achieved a double podium in the premier class. The first time this happened was the 1962 Argentine Grand Prix. In Buenos Aires, the local heroes Juan and Eduardo Salatino finished the race in second and third place respectively, delivering a performance that we would have to wait 35 years to see again.
At the 1997 Imola Grand Prix, the Japanese siblings Nobuatsu and Takuma Aoki crossed the finish line behind Mick Doohan, also making history in motorsport. It’s worth noting that the Australian World Champion himself raced in the premier class in 1994 with his brother, Scott Doohan. Now, if the Marquez brothers were to achieve this feat, they would not only become the third in history to do so but also give the Gresini team its first double podium in the premier class.
Your first rival is your teammate
The prospect of having two brothers on the same MotoGP™ team is nearly unprecedented, sparking curiosity about how their relationship will unfold over the season. With Alex Marquez entering his second season with Nadia Padovani’s charges in 2024, will the ’73’ contribute to Marc’s adaptation or, on the contrary, see him purely as a teammate and main rival?
One thing is certain: Gresini has a strong interest in the Marquez brothers working together. With 10 World Championships between the two of them, the Spanish riders represent by far the most successful lineup on the grid.
Alex’s experience with the team and the bike, combined with Marc’s experience, will make Gresini a real threat for the upcoming MotoGP™ season. Together, can they shine and inspire other teams to field two brothers in the future? – www.motogp.com
