Marco Bezzecchi
Mick Doohan was one of the most dominant riders in the history of Grand Prix motorcycle racing, and his fellow Australian Chris Vermeulen has explained how he was able to ‘absolutely obliterate’ anyone who tried to dethrone him.
The Australian motorcycle racing legend claimed five consecutive 500cc titles between 1994 and 1998, cementing himself as one of the very best riders to have ever graced the premier class.
In the midst of those successes, his 1997 season stands out as a year of sheer domination. Over the course of a 15-round season, Doohan won 12 Grands Prix, took 12 pole positions and stood on the podium for a total of 14 times.
He retired from his active riding career the year following the end of his dominant period, leaving the sport with a record of 54 wins from 137 entries, including 58 pole positions and 46 fastest laps.
The impact that he had on the sport in Australia can’t be overstated, with Jack Miller opting for Doohan over Marc Marquez in his dream MotoGP rider line-up.
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Chris Vermeulen explains why Mick Doohan is one of the best riders to ever compete in the 500cc category
During a recent appearance on the Motorsport Republica podcast, former premier class rider Chris Vermeulen was asked for his opinion on who should hold a place on a hypothetical MotoGP Mount Rushmore.
After naming the four riders, it became apparent that he had omitted Valentino Rossi from his list, and went on to give his reasons for why, saying, “I think Marc, because of what he’s done with his comeback.
“I picked Casey because I think, on pure talent, no one touches him. Rainey was the greatest in how he was driven, like he was unbeaten until he broke his back, right?
“And Mick, just to win five in a row on those 500s after the injury he had and just obliterate people on the same motorbike.
“He was a little bit like Marquez at Honda. Because of his input, the bike became easier and easier to ride. So he went and rode a harder-to-ride Honda that was a bit faster, just because no one else could ride it.
“Like, ‘I’ll just go and ride that because no one else can, and I’ll still beat you.’ So it’s just his mentality to absolutely obliterate everyone.”
- READ MORE: Mick Doohan said ‘a lot of people’ were wrong about Jack Miller when he first moved to MotoGP
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Marc Marquez has previously drawn comparisons to Mick Doohan
Similar to the comments from Vermeulen, Marquez has been compared to Doohan many times in the past.
MotoGP journalist Mat Oxley recently drew a comparison between the two Honda legends, highlighting how they both have an incredible level of determination to win that sets them apart from everyone else they are racing against.
Marquez has since usurped the Australian in titles won for the Japanese constructor, without Doohan’s initial impact on the team, it begs the question of whether the Ant of Cervera could have been so successful with them if the Australian hadn’t been so hands-on at the team.
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