Dani Pedrosa says Marc Marquez is no longer ‘the young man’ he once was after what he’s seen in 2025

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Marc Marquez is the MotoGP world champion for the first time since 2019. And former teammate Dani Pedrosa believes he’s changed in that six-year interval.

Most obviously, Marquez has been through injury hell. There were four surgeries on a broken arm between 2020 and 2022, threatening the continuation of his career.

And when he finally came out of the other side, he found a Honda bike that was no longer fit for his competitive purposes. He left the team before the end of his contract, joining Gresini as a stepping stone to the Ducati factory team.

This year’s Marquez has been as dominant as ever and perhaps even more complete. Pedrosa, who was speaking to DAZN after the Japanese GP, believes this year’s triumph was unique among his compatriot’s seven titles.

Dani Pedrosa says something has changed ‘inside’ Marc Marquez

There are few MotoGP riders who know Marquez as well as Pedrosa. He was the Ant of Cervera’s teammate for the first six seasons of his MotoGP career.

With the exception of his brother Alex, there is nobody better placed to comment on how Marquez has changed. Since Pedrosa retired, the #93 raced alongside five different riders.

Pedrosa says Marquez’s winning ‘DNA’ is fundamentally unchanged. But he no longer rides like a ‘young man’, perhaps less inclined to take risks.

• READ MORE: Marc Marquez names the one thing he’s lost since his best MotoGP season at Honda

Marquez has crashed out of two races from the lead this year (the Americas GP and Catalan Sprint), but has also been content to accept second place at times. The race in Barcelona and the Motegi weekend were clear examples.

“He will have to say this better, but in my opinion, he is the same as he was, with that DNA, but undoubtedly a little modified,” Pedrosa said when asked to compare the current Marquez to the 2019 version.

“He has had that major injury, and although he faces the races with that same spirit, there is something inside him that has changed, and that does not allow him to be the young man he was.”

The MotoGP icon who helped Marc Marquez become a champion again

Also in his interview with DAZN, Pedrosa shared a conversation he had with Marquez in the autumn of 2023. He was agonising over whether to leave the team where he’d built a dynasty.

“It’s been exactly two years since he and I spoke, and the situation was very different for him,” said Pedrosa. “He was very worried at the time, he had many doubts, and he had to make a very difficult decision.

“I’m very happy for him, now that I have this opportunity I congratulate him, because I remember that conversation. And, without a doubt, he has all my respect. I hope he enjoys this moment, which has undoubtedly made him suffer and bring out the best in himself.”

Mick Doohan had several discussions with Marquez during his lowest moments at the start of the decade. Doohan’s experience coming back from a severe injury made his perspective all the more valuable.

Speaking off the record, one of MotoGP’s greatest riders says Marquez is the most talented rider ever. He not only has the numbers to compete with anyone; he now boasts an almighty narrative.