Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez returned to the top step of the podium at the Grand Prix of Aragon last weekend. Marquez controlled the weekend in the imperious manner that had been predicted.
The consensus heading into round eight was that Marquez would be unbeatable. He’d already won six premier-class races at the venue, including an emotional triumph in 2024 that ended a three-year victory drought.
Marquez took pole position over his brother Alex by two and a half tenths – a closer margin than Friday’s practice sessions suggested. He fell to third at the start of the Sprint, but easily regained the lead by the halfway point of the race.
A cleaner getaway on Sunday made the race relatively straightforward, and he ultimately crossed the line just over a second clear of Alex. He extended his championship lead to 32 points as a familial title battle takes shape.
Marquez was enduring a surprising three-race drought after falling in Spain and losing out to surprise packages Johann Zarco and Marco Bezzecchi at Le Mans and Silverstone respectively.
Marco Rigamonti says Marc Marquez is far more humble than he expected
The feeling is that the Aragon Grand Prix was a return to normality in MotoGP after two rather chaotic events. And if Marquez stays on the bike, it’s difficult to see anybody stopping him.
Indeed, while his gap over Alex isn’t unassailable, it’s worth noting that the Gresini rider has only won one race, and even then, he was reliant on his sibling’s Jerez fall.
Marquez is set to surpass Valentino Rossi as MotoGP’s oldest champion this year, having been the pre-season title favourite following his Ducati factory move.
Speaking to Mundo Deportivo, crew chief Marco Rigamonti spoke highly of his attitude. He says the 66-time race-winner is more humble than he expected.
Asked what surprised him most about Marquez, Rigamonti replied: “His character, his character with people. You expect a VIP rider, someone who’s won everything. So you think he’s perfect, but you’re wrong.
“Instead, he’s always saying he’s wrong, that he made a mistake, that he didn’t give you the right instructions, he greets everyone, thanks everyone…
“It has to be that way, but it’s not that common. His character is what surprised me the most: his desire to work as a team.
“That’s the most beautiful thing from a human perspective, since you can work with him. He also likes to laugh and joke, so we also enjoy working with him from a human perspective.”
Valentino Rossi told to resort to desperate measures to stop Marc Marquez
Davide Tardozzi still thinks Francesco Bagnaia is in the title fight, but his path to glory is extremely narrow from here. Bagnaia feels he’s made a long-awaited breakthrough with the GP25 after his podium finish on Sunday.
Unfortunately, he’s still 93 points behind his teammate. It may be that Tardozzi simply wants to protect Bagnaia in the public domain.
Mat Oxley says Valentino Rossi should offer Bagnaia a £100k bonus if he beats Marquez at Mugello. It’s one of the Italian’s strongest circuits on the calendar.
If Bagnaia can’t beat Marquez on home turf, then surely any hope of hunting him down will vanish.
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