Marco Bezzecchi
The 2020 MotoGP season marked the beginning of a dark period for Marc Marquez’s incredible career.
The Ant of Cervera came into the year off the back of winning his sixth premier class title with Honda. Marquez was an unstoppable force in MotoGP, but that came to an abrupt halt as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the calendar.
At the season-opener in Jerez, the Spaniard suffered a horror crash as he highsided at turn three. His bike’s front tyre, still spinning rapidly, struck him in the gravel trap, fracturing the humerus in his right arm.
After undergoing surgery, he attempted to return for the following race, but this complicated things further. Marquez’s physio regrets not forcing him to stop and rest; it marked the start of a gruelling recovery.
Alex Marquez recalls how Marc Marquez was ‘another person’ after his injury at Jerez in 2020
Marquez did not return to racing action until the 2021 Portuguese Grand Prix. He was focused on getting his body and his right arm back up to full fitness, but his family noticed a key change in his persona.
Speaking in MotoGP’s mini-documentary More Than A Comeback, his father, Julia Marquez, and brother, Alex Marquez, recalled how the 32-year-old changed during his recovery.
“For him, it was really hard, for the family as well. We could see that he was having a really bad time,” said his father.
Alex Marquez was Marc’s teammate at Honda in 2020. The 29-year-old was making his debut in MotoGP that season, and he recalled how his brother was completely different after his crash: “It was not an easy period, an easy moment for him. His character changed a lot, you know?
“Marc is a guy who is really friendly, always making jokes, but at that moment, it was like another person. He was always sad or angry with the people who love him.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend
How Marc Marquez has come back ‘even stronger’ since his Jerez crash and leaving Honda
Marquez won three races during his comeback year in 2021, but suffered further injury setbacks after a violent highside at Mandalika in 2022 left him suffering with diplopia. Mat Oxley says Marquez knows his next highside could end his career, as his diplopia could easily return.
When he finally got back to full fitness, Honda regressed in performance, leaving the Spaniard frustrated as he pushed to win again. Alex Marquez convinced Marc to break his Honda contract and move to Ducati, signing with Gresini alongside him in 2024.
This proved to be a masterstroke as he won three races and finished third in the standings, before moving to the factory team in 2025. Alex says Marc is ‘even stronger’ after leaving Honda, as he has changed his mindset to focus on smaller things, rather than a winning mentality.
With Ducati, the Ant of Cervera is back on top in MotoGP, with Marquez securing his seventh title at Motegi. He now faces a spell on the sidelines after Marquez fractured his right collarbone at Mandalika in a crash with Marco Bezzecchi.
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