Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez is rediscovering his inner fire this year. After ten top-three finishes this year, the Spaniard is switching to the Ducati works team for the new season.
For years, Marc Marquez was the measure of all things in motorcycle racing - well on his way to becoming the greatest in history. This made the dry spell of the last three years all the harder. He had not won in the MotoGP for 1043 days, but at the beginning of September, the 31-year-old cheered to a wild samba rhythm in front of his Spanish audience, and for good reason: in Aragon, he had just claimed his first Grand Prix victory since October 2021.
Marquez finished second on the podium in Barcelona on Sunday for the tenth time this season (including three victories), taking third place in the final standings. The thrilling title fight was won for the first time by Jorge Martin against two-time title winner Francesco Bagnaia. However, Marc Marquez has re-established himself at the top.
Emotionally difficult change
The "extraterrestrial" has come a long way. From 2020 to 2023, he had a series of accidents and injuries after winning six MotoGP titles with Honda between 2013 and 2019. He was tired of riding an outdated bike that he had broken his bones trying to tame. Because he did not have the means to win again, the Catalan left the Japanese manufacturer, where he had spent his entire career, at the end of 2023 and joined the powerful Ducati Group.
"Emotionally, it was a huge burden, but I did it because I prioritized my sporting career and the pursuit of results," he explained on the radio show "El Larguero" in the spring. The traditional racing team from Bologna initially only offered him a place in the Gresini customer team with Ducati machines from the previous year. With competitive material finally back, confidence returned and the number 93 was once again a factor in the battle for podium places.
In an interview published on the MotoGP World Championship website before the season finale last week, he admitted: "A year or two ago, I wondered if my time was up, but I made the decision (to switch to Gresini) because I don't want to have any regrets when I retire".
"Finding the fun again"
Marquez definitely has no regrets. In 2024, he achieved more top-three finishes than in his last three years at Honda (six). The 31-year-old Catalan has often emphasized that after his frustrating last few seasons, his main aim was to "have fun on a motorcycle again". True to his status, the Catalan has nevertheless rejoined the ranks of the top riders and proved that he could one day become the GOAT, the most successful rider of all time.
With six MotoGP titles to his name, Marc Marquez still dreams of overtaking the legend Valentino Rossi, who currently leads the way with seven titles in the premier class.
Successful adaptation
As one of the oldest riders in the field, the multiple champion sees the threat from the younger generation, such as his 20-year-old compatriot Pedro Acosta, who is already regarded as one of the future stars of the elite. "The years go by and young riders come along. They are fresher, faster and that's natural. You have to understand how to adapt to the situation," he emphasized at the start of the season. "I try to learn from them, but that takes time and is difficult," he also argued.
Now he seems to be back on track with his expectations, and next year he should indeed be back in contention for the world title. In the battle for second place in the works team alongside Bagnaia, he outdid the new world champion Jorge Martin, who is switching to Aprilia and is likely to struggle to repeat his results. However, Marquez is finally back on the best bike in MotoGP. The collaboration with and duel against Francesco Bagnaia promise to be a pure spectacle.
SDA
