A few months ago, Marc Márquez described his departure from Honda for Ducati as a definitive bet. He wanted to show himself that he still maintained the speed and magic with the handlebars, and this weekend in Jerez he confirmed his suspicions and, incidentally, the blind faith of his fans. The 93 maintains intact the pot of talent that allowed him to accumulate 59 wins and six titles in the premier category, although recent times had sown many doubts inside and outside his head. His formula for rebirth, seemingly simple, goes far beyond the tangible.
“If I’m happy, I’m fast,” he stated after rounding off his personal and collective victory in the Spanish GP. His second position and that old-fashioned battle with Pecco Bagnaia, defender of the crown and Ducati’s mainstay, confirmed that he once again feels capable of anything on a motorcycle. In just 18 days on the Desmosedici, with last year’s version, Márquez is already capable of challenging the World Championship benchmark for victory until the last lap, provoking, as in the past, the delirium of a dedicated public. After the brilliant duel to the limit, which almost sent both to the ground again, the man from Cervera was exultant. Despite giving up the win, he called his race a resounding victory. “This is not a defeat at all, today I won,” he commented after starring in a celebration more typical of a new title.
Without wanting to reveal what exactly it consists of, the Catalan acknowledged that he has a clear roadmap in his mind. “I have a plan, and it is going according to my predictions,” he noted on Saturday, before falling when he was leading the sprint. “At the moment we are falling, but the good result is coming,” she predicted, with his usual humor. No sooner said than done. On Sunday afternoon she had already delivered, once again showing the best version of him on the track. “Within my plan I have won, the journey I have in my head looks better and better,” he warned.
When two and a half years have passed since his last victory, in the 2021 Emilia-Romagna GP, the 93 had it very close in the same scenario where his ordeal with injuries began almost four years ago. “My nightmare began here, and it was a very hard period, but I hope and wish that my second life will now begin. We have not yet left the negative spiral, but good news is coming,” she commented. After undergoing surgery four times between 2020 and 2022 to resolve his serious injury to his right arm, and breaking his sporting and sentimental bond with Honda, the Catalan recognized that the psychological wounds have been much worse and more persistent.
“In sports, sometimes mental injuries outweigh physical injuries, and I had a very serious one of those. That causes a mental injury that you have to get out of. It does not mean that you are defeated, but that you need to gain inertia, regain confidence, and my bet this year was risky. I gave him the courage that an athlete sometimes has to show, facing openly whatever comes, and it’s working out well for me,” she explained. In his words it was sensed for the first time that ambition is once again maximum.
The look, in the title and on an official motorcycle
Marc Márquez left Jerez having proven everything he wanted to prove to himself. Also to the rest of the key figures of the paddock. His contagious smile, the good atmosphere in the garage, the dancing on the podium and even his words are other elements that reflect the return to fullness at 31 years old. Among the messages left by the eight-time world champion on the Ángel Nieto circuit, two basic points of his roadmap can be sensed.
Despite having suffered two falls and two zeros in four races, the leader of Team Gresini, a Ducati customer, is only 32 points – now 37 are distributed each weekend – behind the championship leader. Jorge Martín, from the Pramac team, a Ducati customer with conditions equivalent to the factory’s official team, aspires with him to the most coveted motorcycle on the grid for 2025. Both want to wear red and be teammates with Bagnaia, who renewed for two more years just before starting the course with the Bologna manufacturer. Enea Bastianini, who occupies the position for now, is third in contention and has also started the championship strongly.
In the midst of a crazy driver market, with many holes to fill on the grid, Márquez is likely to receive proposals of all kinds, especially now that he has reminded everyone of his magic. He is clear that he has a good negotiating hand. “Pramac is a very good satellite team, but it is not official,” he made it clear. “I would like to have a factory bike, and if we are fast we will have more options to choose from,” he stressed before the action began in Andalusia. Fighting for the title makes him win a lot. “The World Cup is not that far away. I have had a terrible start to the championship and we are only 32 points away,” he celebrated.
The beauty of Márquez’s plan, which displays his ambition openly after a long time in hiding, is that it aligns perfectly with Dorna’s wishes. The euphoria experienced in Jerez and the spectacle offered in all the races since Qatar (he finished fourth in his debut with the Ducati), consolidate the ascending line of the championship, more even, intense and exciting than ever. The charisma and star of a champion like Marc was the only thing that was missing from the recipe in recent years, and his push elevates the figure of the Bagnaias, Martín and company. Liberty Media, without a doubt, is rubbing its hands after having purchased Dorna and the rights to a championship that is on the rise.
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