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Marc Marquez's victory in the second Misano round can almost certainly be catalogued as a surprise. This, in fact, was his first success on a circuit with mainly right-hand corners, something that hadn't happened for 735 days, that is, since the 2019 GP of Japan GP at Motegi.
It’s a fact highlighted by Marc himself: “Winning on a right-hand circuit, which is very difficult for me, shows the recovery is going well and will help me feel good about next year,” said the rider from Cervara.
A second indication comes from the fact that Marquez is currently the rider with the highest number of victories in this world championship after the new world champion, Fabio Quartararo.
The Frenchman has in fact won five races (Doha, Portimao, Mugello, Assen and Silverstone) and scored 10 podiums. 'El Diablo' was the most victorious and the most consistent, as he scored points in every round. Behind him is Marc, with three wins (Sachsenring, Austin and Misano 2) and four podiums to his name. The other two riders to have won more than one race are both on factory Ducatis: Pecco Bagnaia (Misano and MotorLand Aragón) and Jack Miller (Jerez and Le Mans).
Let's add another small sign: the eight-time world champion is the rider who has scored the highest number of points in the last four Grands Prix, important for the outcome of the title. Marc in fact has scored 83 points, Fabio 62 and Pecco, after last Sunday's crash, 66. The outgoing world champion, Joan Mir, third in the championship, just 34. And you want to know who the rider with the best progression is? Enea Bastianini, who has scored 52 points since Aragon, has for the moment, taken the title of best rookie of 2021.
Thanks, however, to his surge in performance, Marquez is currently fourth in the ranking of winners in all categories. Third is Spain’s idol Ángel Nieto with 90 wins. At 28 years of age, Marc already has 85 (and 138 podiums, including 99 in the premier class, as well as 90 pole positions).
The first is obviously Giacomo Agostini with 122. And in second place is Valentino Rossi, who bade farewell to his fans in his home race. The Doctor is leaving racing on 115 wins.
Marc, moreover, is currently third in the 'all time' ranking of winners in the premier class with 59 wins, behind Rossi (89) and Agostini (68), but ahead of Doohan (54), Lorenzo (47), Stoner (38) ) and Hailwood (37). Names that alone make us understand the status of this champion.
So what is Marquez’s goal in this season finale in which only two Grands Prix, Portimao and Valencia, remain?
It is unlikely that he will be able to grab third position in the world championship, given that he is currently 6th overall with 142 points, while Mir has 175, but within his reach are Miller in 5th (149) or even Zarco in 4th (152).
This is enough to make us say, together with Carlo Pernat in his usual post-race Fast by Prosecco commentary, that he will be the main opponent of the newly-crowned champion Quartararo and the man to beat next year.
