Marc Marquez’s lesson from Fernando Alonso: “He tries to crush his rival…”

Marc Marquez has described what he has learned from F1 driver Fernando Alonso.

Marquez and Alonso are both legends of motorsport from Spain who have conquered their respective championships.

The aggression on-track which has become Marquez’s trademark is also part of Alonso’s psyche.

"One of the things that Fernando taught me is that you don't have to belittle your rival,” Marquez told DAZN.

“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.”

Like Marquez, Alonso has had his fair share of feisty rivalries in Formula 1, including with Lewis Hamilton.

"What happens in Formula 1 is that it depends a lot on the car, so everything also depends technically,” Marquez said.

“But I am sure that it will be a show and above all that it will never lose that magic of those overtakes that are different.

"For me, 1, 2 or 3 drivers do that. The rest overtake in DRS and Fernando is one of those who can overtake you in any corner.”

Marquez and Alonso were speaking face-to-face for a Spanish TV documentary about their respective careers.

Alonso asked Marquez how he kept returning to MotoGP despite career-threatening injuries.

"As I have relapsed so many times, I have realised that this is the best way to learn,” Marquez said.

“You have to escape expectations when you come back from an injury.

"Obviously, because you have achieved a lot in the past, people expect great things from you.

“But you have to be realistic with yourself and your environment about where you come from and where you want to go.

"There has to be a path drawn and there will be [hurdles], but it is those moments that make you mature not only on a professional level, but also on a personal level.”

Marquez opted to leave Repsol Honda for Gresini Ducati this season.

"It has been a year in which I have had to make decisions that I may regret in the future, I don't know,” he admitted.

“But they have all been very thought out, very [considered].

“And above all, none of them were made in the heat of the moment, something that I have also learned.”

Marquez returned last year but endured a horrible campaign which convinced him to quit Honda a year before his contract expired, and to switch to Ducati.

The early signs of Marquez riding a GP23 have been promising.

In Sepang for the preseason test, his sprint simulation times caught the eye.

He will head to Qatar for two days of testing next week before the season begins on March 8, and the expectation for Marquez to get back to his best will surely follow.