| Marc Márquez | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Marc Márquez at the2025 Dutch TT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Spanish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1993-02-17)17 February 1993 (age 32) Cervera, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Ducati Lenovo Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bike number | 93 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | marcmarquez93 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Marc Márquez Alentà (born 17 February 1993) is a SpanishGrand Prix motorcycleroad racer who races for theDucati Lenovo Team. He previously raced forHonda'sfactory team from2013 to2023, and for the Ducati satellite teamGresini in2024. Widely considered one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time, he has won nineGrand Prix World Championships, including seven in theMotoGP class (2013,2014,2016,2017,2018,2019, and2025).
As a teenager, Márquez won the 125cc World Championship in2010, and the Moto2 World Championship in2012. He moved into the MotoGP class in2013 to ride forRepsol Honda. He won the title on his debut, becoming the first rider sinceKenny Roberts in1978 to win the premier-class title in his rookie season, and the youngest to win it overall, at 20 years and 266 days.[1] He received theLaureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year following that season.[2] In2014 Márquez defended his title dominantly, winning the first ten races of the season back-to-back.
Márquez was ruled out of championship contention early in2015 due to a series of crashes, with the season overshadowed by his tumultuous feud withValentino Rossi.[3] In 2016, at the age of 23, Márquez equalled the all-time Grand Prix record for pole positions.[4] He secured a further four consecutive championships in2016,2017,2018, and a particularly dominant2019. He became the youngest rider to win his seventh and eighth Grand Prix championships. At the delayed2020 season-opener inJerez, Márquez crashed and broke his right arm. A premature attempt to return to competition further damaged the arm, and he sat out most of the season due to three surgeries.[5] The injury continued to plague Márquez in2021, and despite winning races inGermany,Austin, andMisano, he finished the season seventh.
Márquez underwent a more successful fourth surgery on his arm at theMayo Clinic in2022. Struggling with an increasingly adriftRC213V, Márquez severed his expensive four-year contract with Honda to sign for the satelliteGresini Ducati outfit for2024.[6] Márquez won his first race for 1043 days inAragon with Gresini, and claimed further wins inMisano andPhillip Island. He finished the championship in third place and negotiated afactory Ducati contract for2025.[7] In 2025, Márquez finally recovered full form. After winning 11 races and 14 sprint races, he clinched the championship with 5 rounds to spare atMotegi. His six-year drought between titles was the longest in history, and at 32, he became the oldest rider to win the premier-class title in the four-stroke era. Marc andÁlex Márquez became the first ever pair of brothers to finish 1-2 in the premier-class championship.[8] Márquez's season was rated by his peers as one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all time.[9]
Márquez made his championship debut on 13 April2008 as a Repsol KTM rider at the 125ccPortuguese Grand Prix, aged 15 years and 56 days.[10] In just his sixth race in the category, at theBritish Grand Prix, Márquez came third. He became the youngest Spanish rider to take a podium in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. He was the only rider of a non-Piaggio bike to achieve a podium all season. He finished ranked thirteenth in the standings.
In2009, now a Red Bull KTM rider, Márquez scored another podium with a 3rd place atJerez. He achieved his first pole position at theFrench Grand Prix at 16 years and 89 days, becoming the youngest Spanish rider to take pole in a motorcycling world championship. He took a second pole position inMalaysia, but retired from both races. Márquez finished ranked eighth in the standings, 21 places above the next KTM bike.
Márquez rode aDerbi bike in2010 for Red Bull Ajo. He took two podiums in the first three races. On 6 June, Márquez won his first Grand Prix race atMugello. Further victories atSilverstone,Assen andBarcelona in the next three races made him the youngest rider to win four successive races.[11] With yet another win at theSachsenring, Márquez became the first rider sinceValentino Rossi in1997 to win five successive races in 125cc racing.[12]
Márquez faltered across the next four rounds, winning in Misano but struggling in Brno and Indianapolis. After retiring fromAragon due to an accident withRandy Krummenacher at the first corner, he dropped to third in the standings behindNicolás Terol andPol Espargaró.[13] Márquez then claimed another four successive wins, inMotegi,Malaysia,Australia andEstoril, to gain a 17-point lead over Terol with one round to go. The race in Estoril was red-flagged due to rain when Márquez was running second to Terol. When returning to the grid for the second race, Márquez fell on the sighting lap and had to return to the pits for repairs. He was forced to start at the back of the field, having not made it out of pit lane before it closed five minutes prior to the race. Despite this, Márquez recovered to win the race. Márquez finished fourth inValencia to become the second-youngest World Champion afterLoris Capirossi. He was 17 years and 263 days old.[14][15]
Márquez moved into the Moto2 class for2011 to begin an expected two-year stint as the sole rider of the new team Monlau Competición, run by his managerEmilio Alzamora.[16] After two retirements and a 21st place finish, Márquez took his first Moto2 victory inLe Mans.[17] At his home race inCatalonia, Márquez finished second behind championship leaderStefan Bradl. He took his first pole position inSilverstone, but once again crashed and retired. With Bradl having taken four victory in the first six races, Márquez trailed him by 82 points.[18]
Márquez made a mid-season surge up the championship standings, winning six of the next seven races to move within six points of Bradl.[19] After finishing second to Bradl's fourth atMotegi, Márquez took the championship lead by one point.[20] InAustralia, Márquez crashed into the back ofRatthapark Wilairot after the free practice had been concluded, and was given a one-minute penalty on his qualifying time for riding in an "irresponsible manner".[21][22] The penalty ensured Márquez would start the race from last on the grid, but he carved his way through the field to finish in third place.
Despite rumors of a move to MotoGP, Márquez confirmed before theMalaysian Grand Prix that he would remain in Moto2 for the 2012 season.[23] In the opening minutes of the first free practice session in Malaysia, Márquez crashed on a damp patch of asphalt alongside several other riders. He suffered nerve inflammation which caused him to developdiplopia.[24] After sitting out two further practice sessions, Márquez completed two laps in the qualifying session, but his times only placed him 36th on the grid. He did not start the race, as he failed a medical examination prior to the warm-up on race morning.[25] Márquez attended the final race of the season inValencia, in the hope of being fit to compete, but withdrew due to continued vision problems, handing Bradl the title.[26]
Márquez returned with a vengeance in2012. He claimed six pole positions across the first eight rounds, winning inQatar,Estoril,Assen andGermany, and claiming further podiums inJerez,Catalonia, andSilverstone. He came fifth inMugello, before taking three consecutive wins inIndianapolis,Brno andMisano. Despite a race win for runner-upPol Espargaró, Márquez clinched the world championship with a second place finish inAustralia.[27]
Márquez had developed a reputation as an aggressive rider during his stint in Moto2, already considered a more aggressive class than MotoGP at the time, which peaked due to a number of incidents in 2012. After the season-opener in Qatar, he received a warning over an incident which saw Márquez overtakeThomas Lüthi aggressively on the final lap, forcing him wide. Lüthi slapped Márquez on the arm, which caused him to also receive a warning.[28] Collisions withPol Espargaró at Catalonia andMika Kallio atMotegi caused further controversy. Following the news of Márquez's imminent move to MotoGP, a new penalty points system was introduced to discourage irresponsible riding.[29]
During a practice session for his final Moto2 race inValencia, Márquez knockedSimone Corsi off his bike while attempting an overtake and was penalised for dangerous riding. Demoted to 33rd position on the starting grid, Márquez carved through every other rider on track to win the race. This performance, which involved overtaking 20 bikes on the first lap alone, is widely recognised as one of the best comebacks in a motorcycling race of all time, and one of the signature performances of Márquez's career.[30] He finished the season with nine race wins, and only finished off the podium in three races, two of those being retirements. Márquez's result also handedSuter the Moto2 constructors' title.
On 12 July 2012, it was announced that Márquez had signed a two-year contract with theRepsol Honda team in MotoGP to replace the retiringCasey Stoner asDani Pedrosa's teammate from 2013 onwards.[31][32] Some MotoGP observers described this as "the worst kept secret in history".[33]
Márquez tested theHonda RC213V for the first time in Valencia after the end of the 2012 championships, lapping just over a second slower than Pedrosa, who topped the time sheets.[34] Márquez was impressive again during the MotoGP tests at Sepang. He finished the first two days of testing in third position, just behind Pedrosa andJorge Lorenzo, and ahead ofValentino Rossi in fourth, before swapping places with Rossi on the final day.[35] At Honda's private test in Austin, Márquez topped the timesheets on all three days.
Márquez started the2013 season with a podium finish on his MotoGP debut inQatar. Having qualified sixth, he ended up fighting Rossi in a widely-publicised last lap battle for second place. Márquez lost out to Rossi and finished third behind him and Lorenzo.[36] In Márquez's second MotoGP race, at the newCircuit of the Americas inTexas, he took pole position and held off his teammate Pedrosa to claim his maiden victory in the MotoGP class. He became the youngest ever premier-class race winner at 20 years, 63 days, beatingFreddie Spencer's 30-year-old record.[37]
AtJerez, Márquez finished in second position behind Pedrosa. On the final lap of the race, Márquez caused his first controversy in the premier class by aggressively overtaking Lorenzo at the corner which had been named "Lorenzo Corner" that same weekend.[38] Despite Lorenzo's annoyance, it was deemed a racing incident. AtLe Mans, Márquez took the second pole of his MotoGP career, 0.03 seconds ahead of Lorenzo. He suffered a bad start to the race and spent many laps battling outside the top five. He overtookAndrea Dovizioso with two laps left to claim his fourth podium finish in as many races, tyingMax Biaggi's record from1998.[39]
Márquez endured a tough weekend inMugello, where he crashed twice on Friday. Despite a third crash during Saturday morning practice, he recovered to qualify on the second row. He suffered his fourth crash of the weekend during the race with only three laps to go, and recorded his first non-finish since joining the premier class.[40] Márquez took another third-place podium atCatalonia.[41] InAssen, Márquez suffered a hugehighside in morning practice, causing small fractures in his fingers and toes. Despite this, he again finished the race in third place.[42]
At theSachsenring, with main rivals Pedrosa and Lorenzo both injured, Márquez took his third pole position in MotoGP. After an average start, he worked his way back into the lead by the end of lap five, and claimed his second MotoGP victory.[43] AtLaguna Seca, Márquez won his third race of the year, extending his championship lead to 16 points over Pedrosa.[44] At the trademark Laguna Seca "Corkscrew", Márquez replicated Rossi's infamous overtake onCasey Stoner in 2008 to pass Rossi himself. After the race, Rossi jokingly strangled Márquez inparc fermé before hugging him.[45] AtIndianapolis, Márquez took pole, but his start was again subpar, and he quickly dropped behind Lorenzo and Pedrosa. They were unable to keep pace with Márquez for the full race, and he took his fourth win of the year by just over 3 seconds.[46] AtBrno, there was an intense battle between Márquez and Lorenzo, who swapped places several times. Márquez made the final pass at Turn 3 with just under four laps to go, and became the first rider to win four consecutive races since Rossi in 2008.[47]
During Sunday morning warm up atSilverstone, Márquez crashed and dislocated his shoulder. He was nonetheless declared fit to race. Márquez and Lorenzo pulled away from the field together during the early laps. In the final laps they traded places and paint; Márquez lost out and finished second.[48] AtMisano, Márquez topped qualifying by over half a second to claim pole position, but again finished the race second to Lorenzo.[49] AtAragon, Márquez claimed a seventh pole position. Again he lost the lead to Lorenzo in the first corner, and found himself trailing by two seconds. This time he soon caught up to Lorenzo, and ultimately crossed the line over a second ahead for his sixth victory of the season. With four races left, Márquez had a 39-point championship lead from second-placed Lorenzo.[50]
AtSepang, Márquez took his fourth consecutive pole position and finished in second place.[51] AtPhillip Island, a mandatory pit stop after ten laps was introduced by race direction due to tyre problems. Honda misunderstood the directive, leaving Márquez on the track for an eleventh lap, and he was disqualified. This incident reduced his championship lead over race winner Lorenzo from 43 points to 18 with two rounds to go.[52] AtMotegi, Márquez recovered from a heavy fall on the morning of the race to finish second behind Lorenzo.[53] His lead shrank to 13 points, meaning a fourth-place finish atValencia would be sufficient to crown him champion even if Lorenzo won. Márquez rode with uncharacteristic restraint and finished in third to secure the championship. He became the youngest champion in series history.[54]
Márquez produced the fastest times on all three days of the first preseason test in Malaysia. He then suffered a broken right leg, and was unable to take part in the second Malaysian test or the Phillip Island tyre test.
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At the2014 season opener inQatar, Márquez demonstrated strong pace on Saturday afternoon and took pole position. He made an average start to the race, dropping to fourth place on lap one. He gradually worked his way to the front of the race and emerged victorious from a tense battle with Rossi in the second half of the race, winning by 0.259 seconds.[55] Márquez then proceeded to win each of the next five rounds inTexas,Argentina,Spain,France, andItaly, all from pole position.[56][57][58][59][60]
At theCatalan Grand Prix, Márquez failed to take pole position for the first time all season, qualifying third after crashing during the session. This turned out not to matter: Márquez held off attacks from each of Pedrosa, Lorenzo and Rossi to win his seventh consecutive race, extending his championship lead to 58 points over second-placed Rossi.[61] Márquez's younger brotherÁlex won the Moto3 race, and they became the first siblings to win Grand Prix races on the same day.[62] The brothers repeated the feat at theDutch TT two weeks later.[63] At his most dominant circuit, theSachsenring, Márquez again won the race, becoming the youngest rider to win nine consecutive races in the premier class.[64] He claimed a tenth successive victory atIndianapolis to become the third rider to achieve such a feat in the premier class, afterMick Doohan andGiacomo Agostini.[65]
Márquez suffered his first defeat of the season atBrno, where he finished fourth.[66] He then won yet again atSilverstone.[67] AtMisano, Márquez crashed while battling for the race lead with Rossi; he remounted and was able to score one championship point.[68] Márquez and Pedrosa crashed in heavy rain late in the race atAragon and finished 13th[69] and 14th, with Lorenzo claiming his first race of the year due to superior tyre strategy.[70] Lorenzo won again atMotegi, while Márquez finished second to clinch his second MotoGP championship with three rounds remaining.[71][72]
AtPhillip Island, Márquez took his 12th pole position of the season, matching the record set byCasey Stoner in2011, but he crashed out while leading the race, his first non-finish since the2013 Italian Grand Prix.[73] AtSepang, Márquez broke Stoner's record by claiming his 13th pole position of the season and his 50th Grand Prix pole position. He also took his 12th win of the season, matchingMick Doohan's1997 record of most premier class victories in a single year.[74] Márquez's result meantHonda claimed the manufacturers' championship with a race to spare.[75] At the final race inValencia, Márquez broke Doohan's record by taking a 13th win to cap off his utterly dominant season.[76]
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Márquez was the obvious favorite to win the championship in2015 season, but it soon became clear that he was struggling to feel comfortable on that year's bike, leading to a string of crashes and retirements. Márquez kicked off the season slowly, recording a fifth-place finish inQatar after a mistake at Turn 1 dropped him to the back of the field.[77] He then won the second race of the season inTexas, his third successive triumph at theCircuit of the Americas.[78]
InArgentina, Márquez started from pole position, and at one point was leading the race by four seconds. However, Rossi began to close the gap, and on lap 22 caught up to Márquez. The two riders made contact at Turn 5 with two laps remaining, and Márquez crashed out of the race to record his first non-finish since the2014 Australian Grand Prix.[79]
Márquez finished second behind Lorenzo inSpain, despite riding with a finger fractured by a dirt-track accident a week before the race.[80] InFrance, he took his third pole position of the season, but dropped down to seventh place at the start. He overtookCal Crutchlow, and then found himself in a hard battle for fourth place withBradley Smith andAndrea Iannone on lap 22. Márquez eventually finished in fourth place, ahead of Iannone.[81] He crashed out of the races at bothItaly andCatalunya, unable to find the safe limit of his bike.[82][83] InAssen, Márquez and Rossi ended up in another controversial battle. On the final lap, the two riders made contact at the final chicane, causing Rossi to cut across the gravel trap; he claimed victory and Márquez returned to the podium in second place.[84]
Márquez then took consecutive victories inGermany andIndianapolis, two of his strongest circuits.[85][86] He recorded a second-place finish atBrno behind Lorenzo.[87] He then crashed out atSilverstone in wet conditions, his fourth non-finish of the season.[88] A win atMisano put Márquez level with Rossi at four races apiece, but he still trailed both Rossi and Lorenzo in the championship standings.[89] Márquez crashed out once again inAragon,[90] and a fourth-place finish inMotegi ended his hopes of retaining the title.[91]
At theAustralian Grand Prix, Márquez secured his eighth pole of the season. The race soon became hotly contested: Márquez quickly lost the lead, with Iannone and Lorenzo fighting at the front throughout the first lap. Iannone led the race into the second lap, but was bizarrely hit by a seagull, and his lapse in concentration allowed Lorenzo to retake him, and Márquez to rejoin the leading pack. The three leaders continued to fight with each other, allowing Rossi to catch up to them. Lorenzo began to establish a gap, leaving Márquez, Iannone and Rossi in a three-way battle for second place. As the final lap began, Lorenzo was running first, Iannone second, Márquez third, and Rossi fourth. Márquez swept into a devastatingly quick final lap, overtaking Iannone and Lorenzo. This was Márquez's 50th Grand Prix win.[92] At 22 years and 243 days, he became the ninth rider to reach that mark, and the youngest to do so.[93]
TheMalaysian Grand Prix was overshadowed by the events of the pre-race press conference, during which Rossi unexpectedly accused Márquez of riding in Australia to help Lorenzo take the championship from Rossi. Márquez pointed out that he had overtaken Lorenzo to win in Australia. Márquez and Rossi then engaged in an intense fight during the Malaysian race, culminating in an incident where they collided and Márquez crashed out of the race. Márquez insisted Rossi had deliberately kicked him.The incident was reviewed by Race Direction after the race, and Rossi was given three penalty points: enough to enforce a start from the back of the grid at the final race inValencia.[94] Márquez finished second to Lorenzo in Valencia, and Lorenzo took the world title.[95]
Márquez took third place at the2016 season-opener inQatar. He won the second race of the year inArgentina, where a mandatory bike swap was enforced due to concerns over the riders' tyres. Márquez then put in yet another dominant performance at theCircuit of the Americas, crossing the line six seconds ahead of Lorenzo to take an early championship lead.[96] He finished third atJerez, behind both factory Yamahas.
Márquez's Honda suffered from an acceleration deficit inLe Mans, forcing him to push in the braking zones to fight for a podium place. He collided with Dovizioso at Turn 7 and remounted to finish thirteenth. Márquez took three consecutive second places inItaly,Catalonia, andAssen. Márquez claimed a fourth pole of the season at his most dominant circuit, theSachsenring. The race was declared wet, and Márquez began the race with a soft rain tyre on his front wheel. He progressively lost ground, falling to ninth position after a trip into the gravel trap at Turn 8. He then pitted earlier than the rest of the leading riders, gambling on a switch toslick tyres. This decision paid off, and Márquez soon began recovering positions from fourteenth place. Lapping four seconds faster than the race leaders on wets, he eventually claimed victory with a lead of just under ten seconds.
Márquez took fifth place at theRed Bull Ring inAustria, third place inBrno, and fourth place at bothSilverstone andMisano. Márquez proved more comfortable at one of his better circuits inAragon, where he claimed pole, set the fastest lap, and won the race. This victory handed him match point for the championship inMotegi. After Rossi and Lorenzo both crashed out of the race, Márquez clinched his third MotoGP title and fifth world title overall.
AtPhillip Island, the newly crowned champion crashed out of the race while leading.[97] He then crashed again inMalaysia while chasing the leading trio in tricky wet conditions, but remounted the bike and finished in eleventh position. At the season finale inValencia, Márquez found himself trapped behind Rossi and Iannone in the first part of the race, jockeying for a podium position. He managed to break away from them in the second half of the race and began hunting down race leader Lorenzo, but ultimately had settle for a second place finish.[98]
Márquez kicked off2017 season with a fourth place finish inQatar. He took pole position inArgentina, but crashed out of the lead alongside teammate Pedrosa. This marked the Honda factory team's first double retirement sinceArgentina 2015. Márquez stormed to another pole position at theCircuit of the Americas and duly won the race, extending his perfect record of four pole positions and four wins at the circuit since its introduction onto the MotoGP calendar.[99] InJerez, Márquez took second place behind Pedrosa.
Márquez recorded another non-finish inLe Mans, followed by a disappointing sixth place finish atMugello, struggling in both races with the Honda's lack of acceleration off the corners. InCatalonia, he finished second despite suffering several crashes throughout practice and qualifying. He then won a close late-race battle with Dovizioso and Crutchlow in theNetherlands to record another much-needed podium finish.
Márquez's fortunes began to improve at his favoredSachsenring, where he took yet another pole position and victory to extend his streak there to eight consecutive wins across all classes. For the first time, he took the lead in the championship standings. AtBrno, the race was declared wet. Márquez took pole but found himself slipping back through the field on soft tyres in the wet, and took the early gamble to switch to slicks. Having once again outfoxed his rivals in flag-to-flag conditions, he powered back through the field and took victory by over twelve seconds.
InAustria, Márquez took second after losing out to Dovizioso in a thrilling last-lap battle. Márquez then suffered a rare engine failure atSilverstone, where Dovizioso claimed victory, leaving them tied in the championship standings. Márquez fought back by claiming back-to-back wins: first in a wet race atMisano, and then inAragon. InJapan, Márquez again lost out to Dovizioso in a dramatic last-lap battle for victory.
Márquez qualified in pole for a race atPhillip Island which became an instant classic. For much of the race he was forced to skirmish in a leading supergroup formed of eight riders: Márquez, Rossi, Zarco, Viñales, Iannone, Crutchlow,Jack Miller andÁlex Rins. Eventually Márquez broke through and was able to establish a gap from the rest of the pack, crossing the line 1.8 seconds clear of Rossi. This performance extended his championship lead over Dovizioso to 33 points, as Dovizioso finished 13th after running off track. However, Márquez missed out on clinching the title inMalaysia, where he finished fourth to Dovizioso's first.
The title contest therefore continued to the last round inValencia. Márquez started the race from pole, but narrowly avoided crashing at Turn 1 and dropped from first to fifth position. Moments later, Dovizioso crashed at turn eight, handing Márquez his sixth world title.
Márquez kicked off the2018 season by losing yet another last-lap battle for victory with Dovizioso inQatar. He then courted controversy in a bizarre race inArgentina. Márquez then stalled his bike while lining up on the grid. In an attempt to restart, he pushed the bike away from his grid position. After the race started, he was issued a ride-through penalty for riding his bike in the wrong direction on the track. Rejoining near the back of the field, Márquez began ploughing through the field. He was issued a second penalty for irresponsible riding following a collision withAleix Espargaró, and was required to drop a position. Márquez then collided with Rossi towards the end of the race, pushing Rossi onto the wet grass. This reignited their feud and earned Márquez a third penalty. Márquez finished the race in fifth, having easily set the fastest lap, but due to the final penalty was handed a 30-second sanction and did not receive points.
At theCircuit of the Americas, Márquez customarily qualified on pole but was handed a three-place grid penalty for impedingMaverick Viñales.[100] This proved not to matter, as Márquez won the race to maintain his perfect record in Texas. He then survived a high-speed slide atJerez due to gravel on the track to score a second consecutive victory, followed by a third atLe Mans. Both victories were his first at those circuits since 2014, and gave Márquez a commanding lead in the championship.
Márquez crashed out ofMugello, and recorded a second-place finish inCatalonia. He claimed pole position for what proved to be an instant classic inAssen, featuring over 100 overtakes and six different race leaders. After a long-fought battle within the leading group of seven riders (Márquez, Rossi, Lorenzo, Crutchlow, Rins, Viñales and Dovizioso), Márquez managed to peel off from the group and crossed the line for victory over two seconds ahead of Rins. InGermany, Márquez was forced to fight harder than usual, but ultimately scored pole position, the fastest lap, and a ninth consecutive victory at the circuit.
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After the summer break,Ducati won successive races atBrno and inAustria. Márquez finished third in Brno, and narrowly lost out to Lorenzo on the final lap in Austria. His championship lead still remained strong. After Silverstone was cancelled due to dangerous track conditions, Ducati took a third consecutive win atMisano with Dovizioso leading Márquez across the line.
Márquez sealed the championship after three successive hard-fought wins in duels with Dovizioso, inAragon,Thailand andJapan. At all three circuits, Dovizioso established an early lead, but Márquez laid in wait to pull off a series of successful late passes. In Japan, Dovizioso crashed on the penultimate lap while trying to catch Márquez to attempt a repass. This left him without points, and Márquez cruised over the finish line to score a third consecutive win and a seventh world title. He became the first rider to win three consecutive titles in the premier class since Valentino Rossi. During the celebrations, Márquez dislocated his shoulder after being hugged byScott Redding.[101]
Márquez qualified on pole inAustralia, but was overtaken by both Dovizioso and Miller on the seventh lap. Three laps later, the rear end of Márquez's bike was struck byJohann Zarco. Zarco crashed and Márquez's bike took damage which ended his race. Márquez took another pole position inMalaysia, but received a six-place grid penalty following an incident with Iannone in qualifying.[102] He powered through the field to catch race leader Rossi, who crashed out of the race and handed Márquez his ninth victory of the season. At the season finale inValencia, Márquez crashed, having chosen harder wet tyres than his rivals on a soaked track.
Márquez's preparations for the2019 season were compromised due to a shoulder surgery. He still managed to take the fight for victory inQatar to the final corner, where he ultimately lost out to Dovizioso again. Márquez dominated proceedings inArgentina from start to finish, claiming pole, the fastest lap, and cruising to victory by almost ten seconds. He set pole in theUnited States for a seventh consecutive season, but surprisingly crashed out of the lead, ruining his perfect record at that circuit. Honda attributed this to a problem with the new engine brake in low-speed corners.[103] Márquez avenged the crash by reclaiming the title lead with a composed win at Jerez, where he once again led from start to finish. He took a third victory inFrance, where he pulled into the lead after an early fight withJack Miller.
Márquez had to settle for second atMugello, after a three-man battle withDucati duo Dovizioso and race-winnerDanilo Petrucci. InCatalonia, Márquez was threatened early on in the race by strong starts from several of his rivals. However, his new teammate Lorenzo lost the front end of his bike on the second lap, triggering a collision which eliminated Lorenzo, Dovizioso, Viñales and Rossi from the race. Márquez narrowly escaped the pile-up and breezed across the line unchallenged. InAssen, Márquez increased his title lead by finishing second to Viñales, who was 100 points adrift in the title standings. The other championship contenders all had a difficult race. Márquez unsurprisingly dominated at theSachsenring, where he set pole, the fastest lap, and won his tenth consecutive race.
Returning from summer break, Márquez set an extraordinary pole position atBrno. Qualifying was run in changeable conditions, but the circuit was dry enough to go out on slick tyres. Having set pole with his penultimate lap, Márquez then continued out for another lap despite the final sector now being drenched in rain. He powered through the wet track on his slick tyres to set an even faster lap, ahead of the field by over 2.5 seconds. Petrucci commented, "I don't understand why the track was dry for Marc and wet for the rest of us."[104] Márquez then took his 50th career MotoGP win, leading the race from start to finish.
Márquez also set pole inAustria andSilverstone, but lost out in two last-lap battles for victory to Dovizioso and Rins respectively. InMisano, where he did not set pole, he won the race after a last-lap showdown with rookieFabio Quartararo. InAragon he won commandingly from pole. His lead in the championship handed him match point inThailand. After another thrilling last-lap battle with Quartararo, Márquez won the race and secured his eighth world championship with four rounds remaining.
Márquez closed out the season in commanding fashion. He took another victory from pole inJapan. He sat behind race leaderMaverick Viñales for much of the race in Australia, before accelerating past him into the final lap. Under pressure to repass him, Viñales crashed, handing Márquez victory by eleven seconds. InMalaysia, Márquez injured his shoulder in qualifying, which would later require another post-season surgery, but recovered to finish second in the race.[105] At the final race inValencia, Márquez fittingly claimed his twelfth victory of the season. He fell one race short of the record for most wins in a single season that he had established in 2014. His final points tally was 420, giving him a 151-point advantage — the equivalent of six race wins — over second-placed Dovizioso.
During the2020 preseason, Márquez signed a new deal with Honda, unusual in that it ran for four years instead of two and would therefore take Márquez off the riders' market until 2024.[106] The season opener inJerez was delayed due to the onset of theCOVID-19 pandemic. Márquez qualified on the front row in third position. He quickly moved into the lead, but nearly crashed on Lap 5, dropping him down to sixteenth. The fastest man on track by a wide margin, and certainly not on the fastest bike, Márquez charged back through the field and joined the battle for second place with five laps to go.Hervé Poncharal later commented, "I couldn’t believe my eyes. Nobody has ever had that superiority, I think."[107] Márquez then suffered a vicious highside at Turn 3, ending his race and breaking his right humerus.
Márquez underwent surgery to install a plate in his arm on 21 July.[108] He then returned to Jerez for theAndalusian Grand Prix, due to be held five days later. He participated in free practice on Saturday, only to declare that he had too much pain in his recently injured arm to continue.[109] He did not participate in another race in the 2020 season. The stress on his arm weakened the plate and caused it to break in August, requiring additional surgery.[110] He then underwent a third surgery in December to receive a bone graft, which resulted in further complications due to infection.[111]
Márquez missed the opening two races of the2021 season due to his continued rehabilitation. He announced his return for the third round inPortugal, where he completed the race and finished within the points in seventh place. He also took a ninth-place finish inJerez. Márquez then suffered three consecutive DNFs, inLe Mans,Mugello, andCatalonia. In Le Mans, where conditions were rainy, he had at one stage been leading the race.
Márquez qualified on the second row at his most reliable circuit, theSachsenring. He got into the lead during the early laps of the race and held onto it to take his first Grand Prix victory in 581 days, and his 11th consecutive win in Germany. Márquez followed this result up with two point-scoring finishes at the Dutch and Styrian GPs. In Austria, he was battling in contention for the lead when he and the other top riders were forced to pit to change to rain tyres with three laps remaining. At the start of his first flying lap after leaving the pits, Márquez slid off the track. He remounted and finished fifteenth. At Silverstone, he collided withJorge Martín on the opening lap and retired.
InAragon, Márquez fought for victory withFrancesco Bagnaia, but was unable to overpower Bagnaia's Ducati and ultimately settled for second place. He took fourth place inMisano. At his stomping ground inTexas, Márquez qualified on the front row, set the fastest lap, and secured his second victory of the season by over 4.5 seconds.[112] He then claimed a consecutive victory at theEmilia Romagna GP.[113]
Márquez suffered a concussion in an off-road training session prior to theAlgarve GP, and announced his withdrawal from the final two rounds of the season.[114] He later admitted that the episode had brought on a recurrence of thediplopia which he had originally suffered back in 2011.[115] Despite his truncated calendar, Márquez finished 7th in the rider's championship. He had crashed a total of 22 times in 14 races.[116]
Márquez was fit to compete at the first round of the2022 season inQatar, where he finished in fifth place. During practice for the second race of the season atMandalika, Márquez crashed three times in practice. After a fourth crash, a violenthighside during a warm-up session before the race, he was rushed to hospital.[117] He was uninjured but declared unfit to race. After further checks in Spain he was diagnosed with a third episode of diplopia.
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Márquez finished sixth in bothTexas andPortugal, fourth inSpain, sixth again inFrance, and tenth atMugello. After the qualifying sessions were concluded in Mugello, Márquez announced to the media that he would undergo a fourth surgery on his right humerus at theMayo Clinic to correct a 30-degree rotation of the bone.[118][119] He was sidelined indefinitely beginning with the Catalan round, and replaced for all races by Honda test riderStefan Bradl.[120][121] Despite missing 5 of 11 races, Márquez remained the top Honda rider in the standings going into the season's summer break, the others left grappling with an increasingly fractious bike.
Márquez returned to the grid at the fifteenth round of the season inAragon. He had made up seven positions from his starting place when championship leader Quartararo crashed into the back of Márquez's bike, taking Quartararo out of the race. Debris from Quartararo's bike stuck in Márquez's wheel, causing him to collide withTakaaki Nakagami, and Márquez too retired from the race.
A week later, Márquez achieved the record-extending 91st pole position of his career in wet conditions inJapan. He had not taken pole in almost three years. He finished the race in fourth place. He recorded a fifth place finish inThailand, then took Honda's second podium of the year atPhillip Island, where he narrowly lost out on victory toÁlex Rins. He finished seventh inMalaysia, and crashed out ofValencia. In spite of not starting 8 of the 20 rounds, Marquez finished the season in thirteenth place with 113 points, more than double that of any of his Honda stablemates.
Márquez took his only pole position of2023 at the season opener inPortugal. He also finished third in the first-ever MotoGP sprint race. However, in the main race, he crashed intoMiguel Oliveira and received a double long-lap penalty to be served at the next race inArgentina. The crash left Márquez with a broken thumb that required surgery, and he withdrew first from Argentina, then fromTexas, then fromSpain. TheFIM changed the wording of the penalty, ruling that it would instead be served at the next race Márquez was fit for. Honda challenged this contentious decision, and the FIM Court of Appeal allowed for the penalty's annulment.[122]
Márquez returned to racing inLe Mans, where he qualified in second place. During the race, he managed to put himself into a battle for second withJorge Martín, but crashed at Turn 7 on the penultimate lap. AtMugello, Márquez again qualified in second, and again crashed out of the race, while chasingLuca Marini for third place.[123] He was the third Honda rider, followingÁlex Rins andJoan Mir, to be sidelined by a crash that weekend.
InGermany, Márquez hit the nadir of his MotoGP career. At a circuit he had not failed to win at since 2010, Márquez crashed five times across the weekend. The first of these crashes, during free practice, collectedJohann Zarco in a terrifying incident that destroyed Zarco's bike, and from which both riders were lucky to walk away from relatively unscathed. After a particularly nasty wobble coming down the Ralf Waldmann Kurve in practice, Márquez appeared to stick his middle finger up in response to the vicious handling of hisRC213V. A second crash occurred in the first qualifying session, and two more in the second. Márquez cruised to a limp eleventh place in the sprint race, for once unwilling to push his bike, before crashing again during the race morning warm-up and withdrawing from the event. Márquez also withdrew fromAssen the following weekend, citing aggravation of the injuries he had sustained in Germany, which included a broken rib.[124] At the first race after the summer break inSilverstone, despite riding with uncharacteristic caution, Márquez collided withEnea Bastianini and retired from the race.
Márquez finally ended his season-long streak of non-finishes at theAustrian Grand Prix, where he finished in twelfth place. He also finished the next three races, inCatalonia,Misano, andIndia. InJapan, Márquez qualified in seventh as the only Honda lapping fast enough for Q2. He then wrestled his Honda onto the podium in the main race, which was cut short due to extreme wet weather just as Márquez was hounding Bagnaia for second place. It was his first main race podium in nearly a year.
In the last five races of the season, Márquez retired twice, inIndonesia andValencia, but finished races inAustralia,Thailand,Malaysia andQatar. Márquez finished the season in fourteenth place. Despite his prolonged absences and failure to finish a Grand Prix until the tenth round, he still ranked as the top Honda in the standings, as his teammateJoan Mir and LCR riderAlex Rins battled their own injuries due to the now hugely uncompetitive and unpredictableRC213V.
On 4 October 2023, Honda announced that they had prematurely terminated their contract with Márquez by mutual agreement.[125]
On 15 October 2023, Márquez announced that he would race for the satelliteDucati teamGresini Racing for the2024 season. He joined the team on a one-year contract, to be partnered by his younger brotherÁlex.[126][127] Honda team managerAlberto Puig confirmed that Márquez would be allowed to ride a Ducati at the Valencian preseason test in November.[128] Márquez finished the test ranked fourth in the standings after 49 laps.
Márquez started the season steadily, finishing P5 in the sprint and P4 in the race inQatar.[129] InPortugal, he finished second in his second sprint race on a Ducati. In the main race, Márquez and Bagnaia collided while fighting for fifth; Márquez remounted and finished sixteenth.[130] At theCircuit of the Americas, Márquez claimed another second place in the sprint, but crashed out of the lead in the main race due to an apparent issue with his front brake.[131]
InJerez, Márquez claimed his first pole position with Ducati. The sprint race turned into a battle of attrition which only sixteen of the 25 entrants finished. Márquez crashed out of the lead, but recovered to P6.[132] He duelled for the lead of the main race with reigning world champion Bagnaia. After finishing second, Márquez declared it the best podium of his career.[133] AtLe Mans, Márquez qualified a disappointing thirteenth, but fought his way through the grid to finish second in both races. This result sprang him to third place in the championship standings behind Bagnaia and Martín.[134] InCatalonia, Márquez similarly qualified in fourteenth before finishing second in the sprint and third in the main race.[135] At Mugello, he once again took second in the sprint. In the main race he finished fourth, pushed off the podium by Bastianini in the last few laps.[136]
Márquez endured a challenging weekend atAssen. He crashed out of the sprint and finished fourth in the main race before receiving a 16-second penalty for tyre-pressure infringement, demoting him to tenth.[137] A heavy crash in practice at theSachsenring left Márquez with a broken finger and contused ribs. He qualified in thirteenth but powered through the grid to P2 in the main race. His brotherÁlex finished third, and they became the first siblings to stand on a MotoGP podium together since 1997.[138] Sprint DNFs and fourth place race finishes at bothSilverstone andAustria saw Márquez slip to fourth in the championship standings, below Bastianini.
AtAragon, Márquez took his second pole position of the season. He then took his first-ever sprint win, followed by his first race win with Ducati. It was his 60th victory in the premier class, and his first in 1043 days.[139] Márquez then took a consecutive victory atMisano, having also set the fastest laps at both circuits. He stood on the podium again with a third-place finish at theEmilia Romagna GP.[140][141] InIndonesia, Márquez demonstrated decent pace in practice, but failed to set a lap time in Q2, crashing out twice during the session. Forced to start from twelfth on the grid, he fought his way up to third in the sprint race. In the main race, he suffered from a mechanical failure on lap 12, setting his bike on fire and causing him to retire.[142] InJapan, a sequence of uncontrollable events led to Márquez starting from ninth on the grid, but he finished third in both the sprint and the main race.[143][144] Márquez qualified in second atPhillip Island, but suffered a poor start after his helmet tear-off landed under his rear tyre. He fell back to tenth place, but had recovered to sixth by the end of the first lap. He set a ferocious pace, breaking the circuit's race lap record on the seventh lap, and pulled into third position. He then overtook Bagnaia, on lap 11, and race leader Martín, in the final stages of the race, to claim his third win of the season.[145]
Márquez then crashed while in the running for a podium place at bothBuriram andSepang. He was able to remount and finish both races in eleventh and twelfth place respectively, keeping him in third place in the championship standings. At the final round of the season, theSolidarity GP, Márquez finished second despite struggling for race pace during practice.[146] He finished the season in third, his best championship placement since 2019.[147]
On 5 June 2024, it was announced that Márquez would join thefactory Ducati team for the2025 season on a two-year contract.[148] This came as a surprise to some observers, as 2024 world championJorge Martín had already been promised the seat. There had been speculation over Márquez moving to the satellite Ducati teamPramac, but he publicly rejected this option.[149] Ducati feared they might lose him to another manufacturer, and he was swiftly signed to the factory team.[150] Martín then defected toAprilia.[151] Márquez made his debut on a factory Ducati bike at the post-season test in Barcelona, followed by further encouraging tests in Sepang and Buriram.
Márquez immediately reasserted his diminished authority over the grid. In the first two rounds inThailand andArgentina, he took pole, won the sprint race, set the fastest lap, and won the main race. At theCircuit of the Americas, he seemed on course for this streak to continue, having taken both pole and the sprint. The race was held in changeable conditions, and most riders had elected to start with wet tyres. On the starting grid, Márquez deliberately caused chaos by sprinting for his second bike minutes before the race start. Most other riders panicked and followed him. The race start was aborted. On its restart, Márquez powered into an early lead before crashing out of the race on the ninth lap.[152]
Márquez put in another dominant weekend inQatar by once again winning everything. This was his first win at that circuit since his towering 2014 season. AtJerez, he won the sprint race but crashed out of third place in the main race. Due to the crashes in Texas and Jerez, Márquez trailed his brother by one point in the championship heading intoLe Mans. He quickly recovered the lead there by winning the sprint, and finished second in the main race behind home heroJohann Zarco. AtSilverstone, Márquez failed to win the sprint race, finishing second behind Álex. Ducati struggled in the main race. Márquez crashed out of the lead but was saved by a race restart due to an oil spillage on track. Upon the restart, Márquez's ailing teammate Bagnaia fell to the midfield and crashed out, and Álex finished fifth. Márquez salvaged third place, extending his championship lead.
Márquez then embarked upon a seven round winning streak across all sprints and main races. AtAragon, he topped every single session, becoming the first person to do so since Marc Márquez at the2015 German GP a decade earlier. The grid then arrived atMugello, where Márquez had not won since the 2014 edition. He promptly dominated the weekend, taking his 100th career pole position, winning the sprint, and then winning the race after a hectic battle with his brother and Bagnaia in the early laps. He continued his streak atAssen, where he qualified fourth but won both the sprint (repelling an attack from his brother) and the race (repelling an attack fromMarco Bezzecchi).
Márquez claimed pole at theSachsenring, and won the sprint. The main race turned into a war of attrition which only 10 of the eighteen riders on track finished. Márquez won by six seconds, claiming his twelfth win there across all classes, but only his first since 2021.[153] This was his 69th win in MotoGP, and he overtookGiacomo Agostini for second in the list of premier class race winners. InBrno, after collecting the sprint and the race, Márquez became the first Ducati rider to win five MotoGP main races in a row.[154]
After the summer break, Márquez took a career-first Grand Prix win inAustria, as well as winning the sprint. He followed this up with a seventh consecutive double victory inHungary, having fought off a challenge from Bezzecchi at both circuits. Although Márquez won his eighth consecutive sprint race inCatalonia, he was bested in a Grand Prix for the first time since Silverstone by his brother Álex, who had also led the majority of the sprint race before crashing. They became the first brothers to finish 1-2 in a premier-class race. InMisano, Márquez failed to finish a sprint race for the first time all season, crashing to the applause of the Italian crowd just after passing Bezzecchi for the lead. He recovered to win the main race on Sunday, securing his tenth win of the season and his 99th career victory. On the podium, he took off his leathers in imitation ofLionel Messi's celebration in front of a hostileReal Madrid crowd.
Márquez now had the opportunity to clinch the championship with five rounds remaining inMotegi. He duly rode conservatively to second place in both the sprint and the main race. He secured his seventh MotoGP title, his ninth world title, and his first title in six years. This was the longest drought between titles any rider had experienced. He drew level on both MotoGP and world titles with his old enemyValentino Rossi.[155] Due to a dispute withDorna over title categorisation, Márquez did not celebrate this as either his seventh or ninth championship, using the slogan "More Than A Number". At age 32, he was the oldest champion in the MotoGP era (and in 2013 had been the youngest).
AtMandalika, a distracted Márquez had to go through Q1 for the first time all season and qualified ninth on the grid. Bezzecchi crashed into him on the first lap, taking them both out of the race.[156] Márquez suffered a right shoulder injury, and withdrew from theAustralian andMalaysian rounds.[157] After a conservative treatment plan failed, he underwent surgery and withdrew from the rest of the season, including preseason testing in Valencia.[158] Márquez finished the season with a haul of 545 points, setting a record in the sprint era despite missing four rounds of racing. Ducati won the "Triple Crown", securing the Riders', Constructors', and Teams' World Championships due in major part to Márquez's performance.His brother finished as championship runner-up, and they became the first siblings to finish 1-2 in premier-class history.
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position, races initalics indicate fastest lap)[159]
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Pos | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | KTM | ALB1 10 | CAT Ret | JER1 1 | VAL1 Ret | ALB2 DNS | VAL2 Ret | JER2 8 | 9th | 39 |
| Season | Class | Motorcycle | Team | Race | Win | Podium | Pole | FLap | Pts | Plcd | WCh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 125cc | KTM 125 FRR | Repsol KTM 125cc | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 13th | – |
| 2009 | 125cc | KTM 125 FRR | Red Bull KTM Motorsport | 16 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 94 | 8th | – |
| 2010 | 125cc | Derbi RSA 125 | Red Bull Ajo Motorsport | 17 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 310 | 1st | 1 |
| 2011 | Moto2 | Suter MMXI | Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol | 15 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 251 | 2nd | – |
| 2012 | Moto2 | Suter MMX2 | Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol | 17 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 328 | 1st | 1 |
| 2013 | MotoGP | Honda RC213V | Repsol Honda Team | 18 | 6 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 334 | 1st | 1 |
| 2014 | MotoGP | Honda RC213V | Repsol Honda Team | 18 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 362 | 1st | 1 |
| 2015 | MotoGP | Honda RC213V | Repsol Honda Team | 18 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 242 | 3rd | – |
| 2016 | MotoGP | Honda RC213V | Repsol Honda Team | 18 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 298 | 1st | 1 |
| 2017 | MotoGP | Honda RC213V | Repsol Honda Team | 18 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 298 | 1st | 1 |
| 2018 | MotoGP | Honda RC213V | Repsol Honda Team | 18 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 321 | 1st | 1 |
| 2019 | MotoGP | Honda RC213V | Repsol Honda Team | 19 | 12 | 18 | 10 | 12 | 420 | 1st | 1 |
| 2020 | MotoGP | Honda RC213V | Repsol Honda Team | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | NC | – |
| 2021 | MotoGP | Honda RC213V | Repsol Honda Team | 14 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 142 | 7th | – |
| 2022 | MotoGP | Honda RC213V | Repsol Honda Team | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 113 | 13th | – |
| 2023 | MotoGP | Honda RC213V | Repsol Honda Team | 15 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 96 | 14th | – |
| 2024 | MotoGP | Ducati Desmosedici GP23 | Gresini Racing MotoGP | 20 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 392 | 3rd | – |
| 2025 | MotoGP | Ducati Desmosedici GP25 | Ducati Lenovo Team | 18 | 11 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 545 | 1st | 1 |
| Total | 285 | 99 | 165 | 102 | 88 | 4609 | 9 | ||||
| Class | Seasons | 1st GP | 1st pod | 1st win | Race | Win | Podiums | Pole | FLap | Pts | WChmp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125cc | 2008–2010 | 2008 Portugal | 2008 Great Britain | 2010 Italy | 46 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 467 | 1 |
| Moto2 | 2011–2012 | 2011 Qatar | 2011 France | 2011 France | 32 | 16 | 25 | 14 | 7 | 579 | 1 |
| MotoGP | 2013–present | 2013 Qatar | 2013 Qatar | 2013 Americas | 207 | 73 | 126 | 74 | 72 | 3563 | 7 |
| Total | 2008–present | 285 | 99 | 165 | 102 | 88 | 4609 | 9 | |||
(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position, races initalics indicate fastest lap)
As of 16 November 2025, Marc Márquez holds the following records:[160][161][162][163][164]
MotoGP
Moto2
125cc
All Categories
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ARoman Catholic, Márquez along with four other MotoGP riders metPope Francis at theVatican in September 2018.[179]
Aside from his native tongues ofCatalan andSpanish, Márquez is a fluent speaker ofEnglish andItalian.[180]
Although Márquez has won several championships, he has always turned down using number 1 as a racing number, favouring his #93 – which is the year of his birth. The 93 used to be displayed with white text and a red background on his bike and in official merchandise, being compatible with Honda's red-orange-navy blue livery. Upon his switch to Ducati, the 93 became red against the backdrop of the light blue of the Gresini bike. It remained red as Márquez made the switch to the factory Ducati team.
Márquez' father Julià has followed him around the world in his team garage and is a permanent fixture in the Grand Prix paddock, while his mother's appearances are rare. His younger brotherÁlex Márquez is also a motorcycle racing world champion, having won theMoto3 class in 2014 and theMoto2 class in 2019. The duo became the first pair of brothers to win road racing world championships the same season and repeated the feat again in 2019.[181][182] Five years earlier, Márquez jokingly referred to him preferring bikes over girls in a 2014 interview, but conceded it was a "difficult question" and also added that in spite of him being unafraid on a bike, he'd never go out on a boat at sea.[183]
He lives in his home town of Cervera, with his website citing "training opportunities" on dirt bikes in the location as "ideal".[184] His official fanclub is also located in Cervera, chaired by his uncle Ramón, adjacent to an exhibition at the town museum where memorabilia including championship-winning bikes are displayed. Márquez is also involved with several charities.[185]
He is in a relationship with Gemma Pinto.[186]
Marquez' motif since 2012 has been the Ant. This can be seen on various gloves, helmets and pit boards he and his team uses. The reasoning behind this is that when he started out riding motorcycles, his size was so diminutive that the team had to add ballast to his bikes to compensate for his lack of weight. Therefore, his team nicknamed him an ant in comparison with the animal, which is so small but has the strength to carry 100 times as much as its body weight.[187]As of October 2018 on the day of his fifth MotoGP title, Márquez had close to 4 million Facebook followers, being one of the largest motor racers and Spanish athletes on the platform.[188][non-primary source needed] Márquez is a fan of football clubFC Barcelona, and has visited the club and its first team in the past.[189]
In 2023 Márquez launched a projectWeAre93, a community-cum-official fanclub, which will unite his fans at circuits and will have a dedicated grandstands at most races. Under the same umbrella sell the official merchandising products, entertainment, music and with a little luck, the chance to meet with Marc or a visit to the paddock.[190][191]Márquez was the subject of the 2023 docuseriesMarc Márquez: ALL IN, a five-episode series byPrime Video which details Márquez's struggles to return after his career-halting injury.[192][193][194]
Marquez brought a unique, radical approach to handling a MotoGP bike when he graduated to the premier class in 2013. He popularised the 'elbow dragging' technique, which allows riders a greater level of control mid corner – which in turn allowed Marquez in particular to right the bike if it slid from under him. Márquez's ability to save a crash when it seems almost inevitable that he must slide off has assisted him in numerous important situations – notably at the2017 season finale in Valencia, where he slid completely off the circuit but righted the bike just before the gravel trap, allowing him to continue and seal his fourth MotoGP title. The technique became so popular that suit manufacturers had to begin developing elbow sliders to protect riders from the heat and abrasion generated by the elbow dragging, such was the necessity for other riders to imitate Márquez's riding style. This influence has led to former MotoGP riders such as James Toseland,Cal Crutchlow andNeil Hodgson crediting Márquez with redefining Grand Prix motorcycle riding.[195]
Márquez has always shown an affinity to anti-clockwise circuits throughout hisMotoGP career. His most successful circuit in Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the anti-clockwiseSachsenring, site of twelve wins for Márquez to date. One of these included his renaissance win in2021, despite the lingering weakness in his right arm following his crash atJerez the previous year. After that win, thenDucati riderJack Miller quipped "He smoked us with one arm!",[196] highlighting Márquez's superiority on anti-clockwise circuits. Márquez himself has openly joked about his liking for anti-clockwise circuits, describing his perfect track as being "Left corners and very slippery" in the2018 Austrian GP pre-weekend press conference, when asked about to draw his ideal circuit.[197]
After winning his first race withDucati after 1043 days of MotoGP victory drought on the anti-clockwiseMotorland Aragon circuit, then factoryDucati ridersPecco Bagnaia andEnea Bastianini revealed that that Márquez was able to lean as much as 5 degrees more than them on left hand corners. Asked how was this possible, Marc quipped "I will explain what my secret is in the left-hand turns when Bagnaia explains what his is in the right-hand ones".[198]
MotorLand Aragon have dedicated Turn 10 on the circuit to Márquez, in recognition of the Spaniard's sporting success in the MotoGP World Championship.[199]
In 2022, Márquez, alongside his brotherÁlex, founded Vertical inMadrid, a management agency that empowers athletes, creators and artists, giving them the tools to generate value beyond their core audiences and to increase global recognition.[200]Máximo Quiles, then 15 years old, fellow motorcycle racer became the first member of Vertical Group.[201]
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laureus World Sports Awards | 2014 | Breakthrough of the Year | Marc Marquez | Won | [202] |
| 2015 | Sportsman of the Year | Marc Marquez | Nominated | [203] | |
| 2020 | Sportsman of the Year | Marc Marquez | Nominated | [204] | |
| 2022 | Comeback of the Year | Marc Marquez | Nominated | [205] | |
| 2025 | Comeback of the Year | Marc Marquez | Nominated | [206] |
Marc Márquez became the youngest ever rider to take four successive Grand Prix wins on Sunday when he triumphed in the 125cc Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya.
The win is the 100th for Honda in the modern MotoGP four-stroke era and the triumph for Marquez was also historic as it came on the same day as an earlier Moto3 victory for his brother Alex Marquez – the first time 65 years of World Championship competition that siblings have won Grand Prix races on the same day.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Marc Márquez racconta le sue passioni in italiano perfetto, prima di girare l'angolo ed entrare in palestra.[Marc Márquez talks about his passions in perfect Italian before turning the corner and entering the gym.]
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