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After the confusion on the grid at the US GP on March 30th at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), Marc Márquez was accused by some of having abused his power as an eight-time world champion and championship leader. The Ducati Lenovo factory rider left his grid position three minutes before the start and went into the pit to get the spare bike, which was equipped with slicks instead of rain tires.
Márquez had carefully studied the regulations in effect since 2019 and knew that, if ten other riders came into the pits with him to change bikes, the start procedure would be aborted and restarted with a "quick restart procedure."
This would've saved Marc Márquez from getting an arrive-through penalty, which would've added approximately 30 to 35 seconds in Texas and most likely cost him a place in the top three.
Let's remember that only the two Red Bull KTM riders, Enea Bastianini and Brad Binder, and rookie Ai Ogura, were on the starting grid with slicks. If 19 riders had started with rain tires, despite the track that was drying, risky situations would've quickly arisen in the pit lane, since these 19 riders would've changed bikes within one or two laps. According to the regulations in effect since 2019, if "more than ten riders" leave the starting grid, the start is aborted. But only nine riders followed Marc Márquez into the pit lane.
Nevertheless, Race Director Mike Webb decided to call for a new start, because there was chaos on the grid and in the pit lane. Maverick Viñales was searching for his bike on the grid ... Sure, Bastianini, Binder, and Ogura were deprived of the results of their correct and courageous decision to use slicks due to the aborted start, but Webb opted for safety when in doubt, and safety must always take priority.
Chaotic scenes like those on the starting grid and in the pit lane at the Sachsenring in 2014, where all riders, with the exception of Stefan Bradl, swapped bikes after the sighting lap, and like those in Termas de Río Hondo, where only Jack Miller was on the grid with slicks in 2018, should never happen again.
And those critics who tar and feathered Webb for his prudent decision must face this question: Why didn't they complain for six years about this loophole in the rules, which Marc Márquez coolly and quickly took advantage of, in order to completely neutralize his incorrect tire choice and revive his chances of winning the Texas GP with this clever and well-considered move?
Marc Márquez is a borderline racer in many ways, since he's an aggressive rider with a weak sense of self-preservation, characterized by an unparalleled dedication to tough training. With these attributes, his exceptional talent hasn't only raised risk-taking in the MotoGP to a new level but has also spurred his competitors to train harder, including his arch-rival, Valentino Rossi, who clearly overshadowed generations of opponents, from Biaggi and Gibernau to Stoner and Lorenzo, with the duration of his winning streak and his worldwide popularity.
Marc Márquez was never impressed by Rossi from day one
The now 32-year-old Spanish rider entered the premier class not as an inconspicuous rookie but as a rebellious daredevil. Upon his arrival in the MotoGP, Nakamoto and Suppo, HRC's managers, hoped he'd be able to win a MotoGP race in his first season in 2013. But Márquez made his debut in Qatar, finishing 3rd behind Lorenzo and Rossi. Then, two weeks later, he triumphed on the demanding COTA left-hand track in Texas in just his second MotoGP appearance. Marc narrowly won the title that year, beating his fellow countryman, Lorenzo, by a score of 334 to 330. Pedrosa finished with 300 points, Rossi with 237.
Márquez's arrival from the premier class created a lot of headlines. The super-talented rider wasn't afraid to make himself unpopular with his renowned rivals, like Marco Simoncelli once did. At times, the young Marc Márquez surpassed everything that preceded him.
What World Champion Marc Márquez did at the Argentine GP 2018, for example, defies description: one race, three penalties in 40 minutes!
Marc, #93, has been considered the fastest living creature on two wheels for more than twelve years. He broke countless GP records and was world champion in the 125cc and Moto2 classes. But the line between genius and madness is sometimes blurred, in art and in motorsports. They're often very close. How the superstar performed in Termas de Río Hondo in 2018 was something the world had never seen before. The way Marc rode at the Argentine GP defied description. That’s why he received three penalties within 40 minutes. The Spanish rider's fuse blew.
Márquez reverted to his worst behavioral patterns at Termas 2018. He was bothered in Qatar, because Andrea Dovizioso had outsmarted him on the final corner for the third time there, after Spielberg 2017 and Motegi 2017. The Repsol Honda star witnessed Ducati's problems in the Las Termas practice. Therefore, the world champion was determined to score the 25 points at all costs. But a 6th place on the grid was a bitter setback for the hot-blooded and victory-hungry champion. Then came the delayed start at the Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo.
Márquez rolled onto the MotoGP grid and was apparently extremely annoyed that Miller was suddenly allowed to start 50 meters ahead of him, because he was the only one who had already arrived at the pre-start with slicks.
Márquez stalled the engine. He must have known that doing this would put him back on the grid. That would've been the lesser of two evils, as it later turned out. But Márquez simply pushed his Honda RC213V forward, and then rode back against the riding direction to his starting position. Not only did he delay the start once again, but he also violated the simplest rules of GP racing. You're not even allowed to ride a meter against the riding direction in the pit lane!
It was clear that Race Direction had to issue a penalty. His rivals at Yamaha, Ducati, Suzuki, KTM, and Aprilia wouldn't accept such a reckless and dangerous offense without comment. Marc Márquez received a ride-through penalty and subsequently dropped out of the points zone, with only Xavier Siméon still behind him. But Marc Márquez charged forward relentlessly, outpacing the leaders, risking everything, also pushed Aleix Espargaró out of the way, in a spot where he couldn't even claim ten centimeters of asphalt.
Márquez was then asked to swap places, but Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaró was now four places behind him. Márquez then circled his opponents, like Tom Lüthi, but the Honda rider obviously didn't have such an easy time with Rossi. The agitated Repsol Honda star simply squeezed onto the inside of this ominous right-hand bend (like Aleix), even though there was no room. Rossi was caught off guard. He had to straighten his Yamaha and make a wide turn. Valentino slid onto the wet grass and fell.
And Marc Márquez? He stayed within the white line and rode ahead unfazed. He even caught Dovizioso. But, shortly after crossing the finish line, the punishment came: a 30-second penalty for #93, dropping him from 5th to 18th. Rossi ended up in 19th place after the fall and also remained without points. When Marc Márquez tried to march into Rossi's pit after the race and apologize, Rossi's friend, Uccio Salucci, blocked his way, just to be on the safe side. A completely understandable course of action, because there was no excuse for this daring act.
Many experts agreed. Marc Márquez should've been banned from the following Texas GP in 2018. He simply had too much on his plate already. Jorge Lorenzo had been banned for a much lesser offense during his 250cc World Championship career.
Sure, Márquez enjoyed a god-like status at Honda for years. He made up for the RC213V's weaknesses with his skill and unsurpassed risk-taking. But, after two winless years, in 2022 and 2023, all he wanted to do was get to Ducati, where a bike capable of winning awaited him.
Today, Marc Márquez is undoubtedly a different person than he was in 2018 in South America. He has retained all his positive qualities and reduced his Rambo-like riding to an absolute minimum. Since Portimão 2023, there hasn't been much to criticize about #93's riding. And, since Rossi's retirement, his tone with rivals and even strong teammates, like Pecco Bagnaia, has also improved. After all, Bagnaia is the first teammate to defeat on Márquez since Dani Pedrosa's 2017 Valencia victory.
The MotoGP World Championship isn't a Thanksgiving feast or a leisurely ride on bumper cars. There are always going to be some difficult maneuvers. And Marc Márquez will always be a relentless fighter, on and off the racetrack. There's nothing wrong with that. And, when he pays for his relentless will to win and his daredevil actions with a fall like the recent one in Texas, then this aggressive approach is part of his success.
I only know Mike Hailwood's motorcycle career from stories and books, but I've watched Agostini and Read, Doohan, Rossi, and many others.
I think that Marc Márquez will go down in history as the greatest motorcycle racer of all time, because he barely lost a title fight since 2010, when he wasn't injured for a long time. But, even when he was, he achieved three GP victories in 2021 with the problematic Honda. He collected 392 points with the Ducati GP23 in 2024 and won at Aragon, Misano, and Phillip Island. He didn't allow Rossi to win a title in his MotoGP era and can look back on a highly respectable track record.
But when we discuss who's made the most contribution over the past 25 years in making the MotoGP into a global brand with millions of fans, Rossi remains number one: thanks to his often entertaining statements, his unique English skills, his quick wit, his numerous great riding performances, his unique personality, and, last but not least, his exemplary youth development program, which has produced countless talented and excellent MotoGP riders like Morbidelli and Bagnaia.
But, at 32, Marc Márquez has the best chance of equaling Rossi's nine world championship titles. With 91 GP victories, Rossi's 115 GP victories remains within reach, and Marc's 153 podium finishes in 271 GP starts also represent an impressive record. Marc Márquez has had and continues to face stronger opponents and more competitive manufacturers in MotoGP than Hailwood, Agostini, and Rossi, whose first years in the premier class saw Honda and Yamaha largely battle it out for the titles. Schwantz in 1993, Kenny Roberts Jr. in 2000, and Joan Mir in 2020 were notable exceptions.
After his four upper arm surgeries, Marc Márquez has repeatedly reiterated that he won't change his risky strategy, characterized by his unlimited willingness to take risks and aggressiveness. He provided dazzling proof in Saxony and Assen 2023, where he didn't compete in the Grand Prix on Sunday after having suffered four falls each weekend. He just refused to accept that the uncompetitive Honda wasn't capable of achieving top positions, even with the best will in the world. Including sprints, #93 had only scored 15 points in 15 races at Assen at the end of June 2023. Not a single one on Sunday!
Marc Márquez will arrive at the Jerez GP as the World Championship leader, 17 points ahead of his brother, and no one in their right mind would bet 10 Euros against the superstar winning the title.
"Marc can only beat himself," Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Principal Hervé Poncharal said. Because riding exuberance remains a constant companion of the guy from Cervera, whose pursuers can only hope for other mistakes like in Texas.
