Marco Bezzecchi
Everything was set up for Marc Marquez to earn a triumphant win at the Spanish Grand Prix, but his crash may have cost him more than just the race.
Marquez’s crash took him out at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix, despite him having a stellar weekend and starting on pole.
In the second lap, his brother, Alex Marquez, managed to overtake him and secure the lead of the race, one he would see out for the remainder of the race to earn his second straight win at Jerez.
Alex Marquez goes back-to-back at the Spanish Grand Prix, as Marco Bezzecchi settles for second. But what stands out to you? 👀
Marquez’s big sprint race win led many to believe that the Spaniard would return to form with a brilliant win at the Spanish Grand Prix.
But this disastrous finish didn’t just cost him the race. Marc Marquez may have lost his last chance at ever becoming a MotoGP champion again.
READ MORE: MotoGP made it obvious why Marc Marquez should have got Sprint penalty before the Spanish Grand Prix
Marc Marquez faces immense challenge in overcoming points gap to Marco Bezzecchi
Heading into the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, Marc Marquez had earned 45 points to start the season, sitting in fourth place with a 36-point gap behind Marco Bezzecchi, the current championship leader.
After a brilliant sprint win where Bezzecchi didn’t earn any points, he cut that lead down to 24 points, giving him a window to close the gap even further with a win at Jerez.
However, after Marquez’s crash and DNF, combined with Bezzecchi earning second place in the race, there is now a 44-point gap between the two riders.
Effectively, Marquez managed to close the gap between him and Bezzecchi by one point, while being passed by Pedro Acosta in the standings to now be in fifth place.
For the reigning world champion, this could be a mountain too large to climb, especially considering his performances have been significantly hampered by injuries.
Marquez doesn’t know what 100% looks like, as injuries have begun catching up to him after years of success in MotoGP.
Many had suggested Marquez’s championship run would start in Spain. But it looks like any hopes of a championship came to a screeching halt for Marquez, much like he did at Jerez.
READ MORE: Neil Hodgson saw unusual activity in Ducati garage before Marc Marquez’s Spanish Grand Prix crash
Here’s how the championship looks after the Spanish GP! Is it Aprilia’s to lose now?
Marc Marquez might have too much to overcome in latter stage of his career
With the 2026 championship depending on a huge miracle from Marquez this season, some might expect him to cut his losses and try again next year.
But for Marquez, he has reached a point in his career where the phrase ‘next year’ carries more weight than it did in the past. At 33 years of age, and over a decade in MotoGP, the end is near for the nine-time world champion.
And with the 2027 regulation change introducing 850cc bikes, the Spaniard has to overcome so much more than his age and injury issues to stay in the championship mix.
Some believe Marquez will be ‘inspired’ by talk of retirement, eager to show that he has a lot left in the tank and can still compete for the title regularly.
But at what point does he decide that he doesn’t have enough to overcome the myriad of challenges he faces as a veteran rider near the end of his career?
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