How Jorge Martin responded when asked if Marc Marquez is on the ‘same level’ as Valentino Rossi

Add as preferred source on Google

Jorge Martin is aiming to chase down Marc Marquez now that he’s back on Aprilia’s MotoGP bike. Even if Martin had been fit all season, it’s unlikely that he would have challenged his fellow Spaniard.

As Pedro Acosta noted this week, Marquez is riding the best bike on the grid. The combination of his talent and Ducati’s inherent pace has proven largely unstoppable.

The 2013 debutant enters the Austrian Grand Prix with an enormous 120-point lead over his brother at the top of the championship. It’s possible that he seals the title during the upcoming run of four races in the next five weeks.

Aprilia are optimistic of challenging Marquez and Ducati in 2026. It looks as if the Ant of Cervera will be gunning for a record-equalling eighth premier-class title next year.

Jorge Martin explains why Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi can both be considered the greatest

In an interview with AS before the Austrian GP, Martin was asked for his thoughts about Marquez’s 2025 season. He feels this year’s Ducati is ‘perfect’ for the 32-year-old.

Martin’s biggest motivation, now that he’s agreed to remain with Aprilia, is hunting Marquez down. Direct competition between the two riders has been limited so far.

Martin graduated to MotoGP in 2021, and his rise coincided with Marquez’s protracted injury woes. While he was fully fit last year, the latter couldn’t challenge for the title on a year-old GP23.

“He’s got it under control,” said Martin. “We’re certainly, along with Rossi, facing the best rider in history, and at his peak, with a bike that suits him perfectly.

• READ MORE: Marc Marquez knows it’s ‘career over’ if he injures one muscle in a Ducati highside

“It’s very difficult, but that’s our challenge, together with Aprilia, to give my best and Aprilia’s best to see if that allows me to get close and fight against a Marc Marquez like that. That’s what’s on my mind now, and that’s what I’m going for.”

Martin was then asked whether he puts Marquez and Valentino Rossi on ‘the same level’. He says ‘The Doctor’ is the sport’s biggest ‘icon’, but his nemesis is truly unique.

“Look, I think Rossi is the greatest of all time in general terms; as a figure and as an icon, he’s the greatest,” he said. “And in terms of riding, to this day, there hasn’t been a rider like Marc Marquez in terms of riding and talent.

“Having the challenge of being able to compete with someone like that already shows me what I can be, so that’s what I have in mind and what I’m going for.”

How Dorna are planning to capitalise on the ongoing Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi feud

According to Mat Oxley, both Marquez and Rossi possessed an ‘extra gear’ that sets them apart from their fellow MotoGP greats. It all comes down to ‘intellect’ and ‘temperament’.

Many feel that the two riders should be appreciated rather than relentlessly compared. But their ongoing feud makes that difficult.

Marquez says he’s had no contact with Rossi since the Italian retired from MotoGP. There’s a sense that both are waiting for the other to extend the olive branch.

Dorna are producing a documentary about Marquez and Rossi, specifically their 2015 fallout. While that could help to build interest in the sport, it won’t necessarily pave the way for a reconciliation.