Aragon's Return Gives Márquez an Opportunity

The return of Motorland Aragon after a year off the MotoGP calendar is fantastic news for the Spanish contingent in general and for one rider in particular. The Teruel circuit has long been a sanctuary for Marc Márquez, who has six victories in Alcañiz, including four consecutive wins from 2016 to 2019. It is one of the few world championship tracks that run counterclockwise, featuring mostly left-hand turns, which are the favorite of the Cervera rider.

This weekend, there is a palpable sense that Márquez might finally secure his first win with Ducati, ending a nearly three-year drought and over a thousand days without tasting victory. "I can feel it, but I'm not worried," the Spanish rider responded when asked at a press conference. "It neither worries nor obsesses me because after a thousand days, you stop feeling it, and because I know there will be more opportunities. I feel competitive, I feel like I'm fighting for the podium, I feel close to the leaders. But to win a race, you have to be the fastest on Sunday, and that's where we've always been missing something," he added.

Márquez arrives in Alcañiz after a good weekend in Austria, where he was close to Bagnaia and Martín but did not convert it into results. In Saturday's sprint, he fell while running second, and on Sunday, he got stuck at the start and went wide at the first corner, losing his chances but managing to climb back up to fourth place. Marc is aware that with the level demonstrated by the two title contenders, he needs a perfect weekend to aspire for victory, starting with being on point from Friday's practice sessions.

Motorland Aragon is also very special for Bagnaia since he achieved his first MotoGP category victory at this track in 2021. And it wasn't just any victory; he defended himself from relentless attacks by Marc Márquez in the final laps without success. That day marked a turning point in Bagnaia's career. "That victory changed my mentality because it showed I had the potential to win." Since then, he has accumulated 25 victories and two world titles in the premier class and is on his way to a third.

After securing double victories in Austria, the Turin rider reclaimed the lead in the overall standings with a five-point advantage over Martín, who will try to leverage home-field advantage to regain the lead at a track where he has only won as a Moto3 rider. The Madrid native hasn't won a Sunday race in six Grand Prix events, five of which were claimed by his main rival. "It's clear that Bagnaia is at a great level because he's improved his weaker points compared to me, and I still have some areas to improve," he assessed.

The battle between Bagnaia and Martín, along with Márquez's potential resurgence, will be the main focal points in Aragon. But they won't be the only ones. Enea Bastianini, third in the World Championship standings and last year's winner at this track in 2022, will also be one to watch. Additionally, Aprilia riders Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales will compete on a circuit that historically favors Italian MotoGP bikes. Furthermore, KTM led by Pedro Acosta might challenge the powerful Ducati machines.

In the smaller categories, Sergio García leads the Moto2 standings with a 20-point margin over Japan's Ogura, while in Moto3, Spanish-Colombian David Alonso dominates with seven wins in eleven races and a 71-point lead over Iván Ortolá and 75 points over Dani Holgado.