What Marc Marquez told his mother about his ‘suffering’ at Honda before he joined Ducati

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Marc Marquez has turned his MotoGP career around and looks to be in the best position he has ever been in to compete for a championship.

He’s on a dominant Ducati bike and he has all the experience gathered from years of success, triumph and then disaster at Honda.

There’s no disputing that Marquez is one of the greats of the sport, and he could break the record for being the oldest premier-class champion in history this season.

Valentino Rossi, who was 30 when he claimed his last title, currently holds the record. The Spaniard will be 32 when he crosses the line in Valencia.

Marquez is not willing to repeat mistakes he made at Honda now that he’s on a much better bike. He doesn’t need to push the limits so much.

Teammate Francesco Bagnaia admitted ‘missing’ another level in Thailand, at MotoGP’s season-opener last weekend. The six-time champion looks to be in imperious form.

READ MORE: Giacomo Agostini explains how Valentino Rossi is inadvertently helping Marc Marquez at Ducati

Marc Marquez told his mother he was ‘suffering’ at Honda before Ducati move

Marquez’s final years at Honda were a fairly dark affair. They still have one of the slowest bikes on the grid now and it has been five years since they were even contending for victories.

After a 14th placed finish in the riders’ championship in 2023, he decided enough was enough and swapped the Japanese bike for Gresini’s Ducati in 2024.

Marquez told Honda they were wasting his salary and not only had he lost confidence, but his mental health had taken a hit too.

He may have been moving to a one-year old bike, but it helped him rediscover his form with three victories and third in the title race in 2024.

In 2025, he’s the favourite for a seventh crown, after graduating to the factory team. He dominated the Grand Prix of Thailand weekend and may do the same in Argentina. His mother told Diario AS that he said this to her before leaving Honda:

“Do you want to see me happy or suffering on a bike that doesn’t go? I told him not to do that, but just seeing him smile again has made what he has done worth it,” he said.

READ MORE: Marc Marquez’s mother is ‘scared’ by one thing she’s reading after the Thailand Grand Prix

Who is Marc Marquez competing against for his seventh MotoGP title in 2025?

After one race, it appears Marquez may only have two competitors for this year’s MotoGP riders’ championship.

Reigning champion Jorge Martin is no longer on a Ducati bike, and has missed the first two events of the season through injury.

Bagnaia as Marquez’s teammate and a two-time champion is the first obvious threat, but he has struggled so far this season.

The biggest surprise is his brother – Alex, who finished second behind him in the sprint and main race in Thailand.

He could be a serious contender for victories and the title if he can put his brother under pressure and force him into mistakes.