Marc Marquez told Francesco Bagnaia what was about to happen after he bagged his first podium on a Ducati

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It has been a long road to recovery for Marc Marquez since his near career-ending crash at Jerez in 2020. The Spaniard is now embarking on a new adventure with Ducati.

Marquez enjoyed one of the most dominant spells in MotoGP history with Honda in the 2010s. He won six championships between 2013 and 2019.

However, at the 2020 season opener at Jerez, the 32-year-old broke his arm in an accident in practice. What followed was years of struggle, with several setbacks and Honda’s regression in performance.

Marquez was ‘suffering’ at Honda in his final seasons. He was struggling with his underwhelming machinery, finishing on the podium six more times after recovering from his injury.

Marquez told Honda they were wasting their money as he could not deliver the results that justified his record-breaking salary. For 2024, the Spaniard made the shock decision to leave the Japanese manufacturer.

The six-time champion signed for Ducati satellite team Gresini alongside his brother Alex. Unbeknownst to anyone back then, it would turn out to be the right decision.

Marc Marquez hoped his ‘second life’ would start after grabbing his first Ducati podium at the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix

It did not take long for Marquez to find success on a Ducati bike. Four years after his accident, the Spaniard returned to Jerez to finish second behind Francesco Bagnaia.

Speaking after the race, he hoped that his ‘second life’ had now begun after enduring a ‘nightmare’ in his final years with Honda: “I mean, four years ago my nightmare started,” he said via MotoGP’s After The Flag.

“And it was super tough.  But I hope and I wish that right now my second life starts. It’s true that it was a nightmare, it’s true that still, we don’t go out from that negative moment. But step by step we have positive and good news.

“I want to thank all the people around me, I want to thank all the people who support me a lot, I want to thank Honda to respecting my decision, I want to thank Gresini and Ducati for giving the opportunity to ride this year for them.

“I’m enjoying and I’m happy. If I’m happy I’m fast.”

READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend

Marc Marquez’s Jerez 2024 podium served as a warning for Francesco Bagnaia – he’s now dominating him at Ducati

After scoring his first podium for Gresini at Jerez, Marquez went on to win three races and grab nine more podiums. He finished third in the standings behind champion Jorge Martin and Bagnaia.

During the summer, it was confirmed that the Spaniard would be linking up with Bagnaia at the factory Ducati team in 2025. So far this season, Marquez has found a whole new level.

Winning seven of the eight races thus far, he leads the championship over brother Alex by 16 points, with Bagnaia a further nine points behind. The Spaniard could have achieved a clean sweep, but Marquez crashed at the Americas Grand Prix from the lead.

Marquez’s mother told him everything would work out after his crash at Jerez in 2020. It is fair to say that the prediction has been proved right as the 32-year-old looks like the favourite for a seventh MotoGP title this year.