It’s no secret that Marc Márquez is one of the most talented riders to grace the MotoGP world. This past weekend in Japan, he matched Valentino Rossi, taking his 7th MotoGP championship. With an array of records to his name that’s only growing, Márquez is known for his smooth, yet aggressive, riding style.
For Márquez, the 2025 season will go down as one of the all time greatest comebacks in sports. Whilst he’s no stranger to crashes and surgeries, one in particular threatened his future in MotoGP. Many wondered if it was the end of his career but this year he’s proving everyone wrong. Let’s delve into Márquez’s 2020 crash and how it’s impacted his career ever since.
The Ant of Cervera: A Generational Talent
Due to his petite size growing up, Márquez was likened to an ant as he moved through the ranks – gaining himself the nickname ‘the ant of Cervera’. He quickly became a rising star due to his speed and talent.
Since winning the 125cc championship (now Moto3) in 2010, he had never finished lower than 3rd in the championship until 2020. With 10 years in the top 3, only one other rider has achieved this – his rival Valentino Rossi.
Márquez is aware of his reputation, and doesn’t try to hide it. In his Amazon Prime documentary All In, he described himself as “someone who fights for what he wants,” going on to say that “the good guys don’t make it, you can’t be nice to your rivals.”
“I consider myself a normal person. As a rider? On the track I’m an asshole.”
~ Marc Márquez, Amazon Prime ‘All in’.
But, in MotoGP, with talent comes injury. Márquez’s smooth, yet aggressive “all in” riding style has seen him face many crashes since joining the world of motorcycles as he pushed limits to be the best.
Facing numerous fractures, dislocations, and moments of diplopia, by 2020 the Spanish rider had already had 6 major surgeries and he was only 27. Having won the 2019 championship, he was coming into 2020 following a shoulder surgery. The aim of the surgery was to prevent issues like he’d experienced years prior.
2020: The Year That Never Was
Following 4 championship winning years, Márquez was looking to match Rossi — win 5 titles in a row and equal the 7 premier class titles of the Italian. He was due to race alongside his brother, Álex Márquez, for the first time in their careers. However, the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic halted the season before it could even start.
Eventually, the season started in July with the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuito de Jerez. But it was a short-lived season for Márquez. On lap 21, he crashed whilst chasing Fabio Quartararo — a moment that changed his career forever. Breaking his right humerus, he had surgery immediately and attempted to return a week later at the Andalucían GP. Following one lap in qualifying, he declared he was in too much pain and withdrew from the race.
Márquez would not compete any further in the 2020 season, instead focusing on his recovery. Throughout the year, he would have a further two surgeries in an attempt to fix his arm. Many were starting to speculate that we could’ve seen the start of the end for Márquez.
2021: An Attempted Return
2021 overall was a better season for Márquez. He returned at the Portuguese Grand Prix after missing the opening two rounds to ensure he was recover. He finished 7th, however, all was not quite as it seemed.
Márquez is known for how he recovers after a crash – having an innate ability to consistently come back stronger. Consequently, everyone hoped Márquez would return in 2021 and be on top form. Whilst he did win 3 races throughout the year, he also crashed 22 times. Following a concussion sustained in home training, he also missed the last two races.
Finishing 7th in the standings was impressive, considering he forfeited 4 rounds and retired from another 4. Márquez might have been back physically, but the rider that everyone knew was not. In later years, he would admit that he was riding through severe pain in his arm.
“We came back too early … it was my mistake.”
~ Márquez on his 2021 return.
2022: A Worsening State
Finishing 5th in the opening round, Márquez “finished feeling happy,” however that didn’t last long. During the second round in Indonesia, he crashed again which triggered a second bout of diplopia – double vision – and he withdrew from the race. Whilst he didn’t undergo surgery for his vision, it was a sign of where his season would go.
Returning in America, Márquez had one of his most impressive rides — having fallen to last with a poor start, he managed to finish 6th. What followed was a 5-race top 10 streak, but it didn’t come easily. He was still riding with pain, having to change his style to accommodate the issues.
Following the Italian race, he had a call with the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and he consequently withdrew from the next 6 rounds to undergo another surgery. When speaking about the decision, Márquez admitted that “it wasn’t my last bullet, it was my only bullet. It was either that or retiring.”
He participated in the final 6 races but finished the season 13th overall. During 2022, Márquez and his family knew he wasn’t okay, and all were suffering for it. In an interview the brothers did with MotoGP commentator Suzi Perry, M. Márquez admitted that in 2022 he was angry and “not the same person.”
“The difficult thing was, in 21, 22, he had a lot of pain. He changed his character.”
~ Álex Márquez on how his brother was affected.
2023: Splitting with Honda
Luckily for Márquez, the surgery worked, and in 2023 he was on the mend. Unluckily for Márquez, the Repsol Honda Team were suffering. He may have been on the way back to his former self but now, he didn’t have the bike to support that.
Once again, he crashed in the opening round, fracturing his right hand and needing another surgery. However, Márquez had learnt his lesson, taking his time to recover. He missed three rounds and returned in France. What followed was a career worst 7-race streak of not finishing the race.
In 2023 Márquez’s relationship with Honda was fracturing, and on the 4th October they announced that they would be parting ways come the end of the season. In a shock announcement no one saw coming, this was the end of Márquez and Honda – a partnership dating back to his junior career.
“At that point, he was not enjoying the races.”
~ Álex Márquez on his brother’s final year with Honda.
2024: A New Era
It was a new era for MotoGP in 2024, as Márquez was no longer with Honda. Instead, he got another chance to partner with his brother, and the pair made up the Gresini Racing MotoGP team. Switching to a Ducati team, there was sure to be some teething issues for Márquez but in spectacular fashion, he impressed.
“He knows me and says, ‘you will be fast with Ducati’.”
~ Marc Márquez on how his brother helped his move.
Finishing 4th in the first race, eyes were back on the Spaniard and what he could do that year. Whilst he made some mistakes throughout races, he often found himself fighting for podiums, even achieving his first win in 3 years. He went on to finish 3rd in the championship and was battling Jorge Martin and Enea Bastininni for the second Ducati Lenovo seat. He won it.
No one expected this from Márquez. Whilst he’s one of the best, no one could have predicted just how well he would fit with Ducati. It seemed as though all was coming back to Márquez and questions were being raised about 2025. If he could do that on an old Ducati bike, what would he be able to achieve on the current bike?
“I found the perfect atmosphere to reveal my confidence.”
~ Marc Márquez on his time with Gresini Racing.
2025: The Comeback Champion
Countless crashes, 6 surgeries, career-low finishes, and a questioning Marc Márquez brings us to 2025. Whilst he’d shown he wasn’t finished last year, once again he is in a new team – Ducati Lenovo. And this time his teammate is 2-time champion Francesco Bagnaia. Was 2024 just a fluke? A last hurrah for Márquez? Could he live up to his teammate or would he fall behind again?
Turns out, 2024 wasn’t a fluke, it was the start of a comeback. This has been nothing short of a stand out season for Márquez that’s seen him break records and return to his former glory. This past weekend at Motegi, he won the championship with 5 rounds remaining. He was the first Ducati rider to win 5 races in a row and he almost matched his own record for most consecutive wins – however he was denied by his own brother.
This year, Márquez has been in a league of his own. Whilst he’s made some mistakes, this is a season that will go down in MotoGP history. And while the Marc Márquez of the past is there, it’s as though he’s evolved. He still holds his famously aggressive riding style, but this year, there’s more patience behind his moves. This new Márquez is a delight to watch whether he’s battling with the grid or cruising ahead.
“I fight, fight, fight, and I won again. So I’m in peace.“
~ Marc Márquez after winning the championship in Motegi
Whilst many wondered if Márquez was finished, including himself, this year he’s proven that he’s still got it. With 5 races still to go, what else can he achieve this year? He’s still adding to the new record of points scored in a season and with 11 main race wins so far, can he beat his own record of most wins in a season?
From almost retiring to champion, Marc Márquez has shown everyone that he was only on pause. Coming back bigger and better than ever, he hasn’t just made a comeback, he’s cemented himself as a comeback champion.