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Marc Marquez clinched the 2025 MotoGP title at the Japanese Motorcycle Grand Prix, and compatriot Fernando Alonso congratulated the Ducati factory rider on the impressive feat. The 32-year-old finished the race in second place, which was enough to seal his seventh MotoGP title.
Marquez joined the Ducati factory outfit in 2025 with the hopes of returning to the drivers' crown after an exile of over five years. His journey with the Italian manufacturer started off on the front foot as he won his debut race with the team.
This set a precedent, and fans witnessed one of the most dominant runs by a MotoGP driver in the championship, as he has won 11 of the 17 races held so far. Marquez then emerged as the MotoGP champion as he had amassed a 200-plus point advantage over his nearest rival, his brother, Alex Marquez.
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With the Spaniard returning to take over the prestigious championship crown, two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso also congratulated him on the occasion, as he wrote on his Instagram story:
"Felicidades! Campeón (congratulations champion) 👏🏻"
Meanwhile, both Fernando Alonso and Marc Marquez previously met each other at the 2014 Italian MotoGP race.
"He's a benchmark": Marc Marquez once praised Fernando Alonso for his skills in the F1 realm
While the Spanish pair have mutual respect, Marc Marquez has also shared glaring admiration for the 44-year-old. Fernando Alonso has been fighting on the F1 grid for over two decades and is the most successful Spanish driver to ever set foot in the paddock.
Sharing his thoughts on what he has learned from the fierce F1 driver, Marquez told DAZN, in the first quarter of 2024:
"One of the things that Fernando taught me is that you don't have to belittle your rival. But on the contrary, you have to see their strengths to prepare better. Fernando has always been one of the drivers who has tried to crush his teammate or rival, but with respect. Both on the track and off it, and knowing who he was facing."
"I've watched races and turned on the TV on Sundays on DAZN to see Fernando, not to watch Formula 1. When it's a race in which he's already been penalized for whatever reason, I'd change. If I saw that I had a chance, I'd continue, but if I saw that Fernando was no longer ahead, I'd go do my training or whatever. He's a benchmark, and taking a sport to the national level is what's hard to get people hooked, and for me, Fernando has achieved that."
On the other hand, though Marquez has been able to return to championship-winning form in his respective series, the same cannot be said for Alonso, who last won a championship in 2006 and has had multiple near-misses since then.
