We've had many brothers compete in MotoGP and Grand Prix racing, but we've never had any finish first and second consecutively in the first four races. At least, not to my knowledge. Although the possibility that almost anything can happen in MotoGP racing is one of its biggest draws, fans are already voicing concerns that this year will be a Marquez brothers showdown. But why would that be concerning?
You have the chance to watch the first pair of brothers in modern MotoGP history legitimately duke it out for a premiere-class world championship. No offense to the Espargaros, Binders, or Haydens, but there was never a time that both brothers there were in contention to win the title.
Some would argue that Alex isn't truly in contention, as Marc has seemingly pulled out a lead with ease to take a comfortable win in all races. But according to Marc, taking victory in Argentina was much more difficult than the first round in Thailand, saying, "I’m so impressed with my brother Alex. At one part of the race, I was thinking of finishing in second. He was riding so smooth, always keeping the corner speed up; I saw his tire wasn’t smoking, and I thought, ‘he is on another level’. In the end, I survived, and I took a risk, as you saw! A lot of risks, maybe too many!"
So, although Alex has never won a full-length race in the premier class, he's not to be counted out this season.
Marc and Alex have pulled comfortable leads in both sprint and full-length races so far this season, with Mark taking first in all four bouts. Not even the 2-time world champion, Francesco Bagnaia, could apply any notable pressure to challenge Alex for second place. Considering the next race is at the Circuit of The Americas (COTA), and Marc is known as the King of COTA, his dominance will likely continue. But nothing in the world of MotoGP is certain.
All eyes were on Marc last year as he was on track to take his first win in years after being plagued with injuries and a bike that couldn't keep up with the top machines, only for him to crash out of the lead. There are plenty of tracks coming up that Bagnaia likes and performs well at, and the current World Champion, Jorge Martin, is yet to make his return from injuries sustained in testing.
What I'm getting at is that a lot can change very quickly. But if it doesn't, I'm happy to see the Marquez brothers go head-to-head for a world title and make history. And if it turns out to be a total Marc Marquez domination, I'm OK with that, too, because new fans should get to experience what we did years ago and watch who they know to be the best rider in the world show his skill.
