Luigi Dall’Igna has changed his mind about Marc Marquez being the greatest of all time

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Luigi Dall’Igna saw Marc Marquez bag ‘one of his hardest-fought victories’ in MotoGP at last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Less than a month after undergoing surgery on his shoulder and foot, Marquez returned to the top step of the podium.

It was a perfect weekend for the seven-time premier-class champion, who also took pole position and won the Sprint race. He won an intense battle with KTM rider Pedro Acosta en route to Grand Prix victory.

Luigi Dall’Igna is ready to call Marc Marquez the GOAT

In an interview last October, Dall’Igna was hesitant to call Marquez the greatest rider ever because of the difficulty of making comparisons to previous eras.

A month later, Dall’Igna said he would wait until Marquez had retired before casting a definitive judgement.

But when AS asked immediately after the Hungarian GP whether Marquez was the number one rider he had worked with and the best of all time, he replied: “I think so. I don’t know how to explain something like that.”

Marquez reached 100 victories in Grand Prix racing on Sunday, while Ducati also hit a centenary themselves.

Will Francesco Bagnaia’s record-breaking title comeback ever be beaten?

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“After a day like this, there’s no better way to celebrate,” Dall’Igna said. “The feeling we have is incredible. He’s a legend.

“Surely this is one of his hardest-fought victories, because the start of the year has been really tough, and that’s why I’m so happy for him.”

After championship leader Marco Bezzecchi was wiped out at the first corner by teammate Jorge Martin, Marquez has closed the gap to 72 points, which may force those who had ruled him out of the title race to rethink their stance.

Winning the championship this year, given his lack of fitness at the start of the season and the sheer volume of points he lost, would arguably be Marquez’s greatest achievement. It would also see him overtake Valentino Rossi as the most successful rider of the modern era.

No MotoGP rider has won the title after missing a race through injury since Wayne Rainey in 1992, and even the season was transformed by Mick Doohan’s infamous crash at Assen. Marquez could also break Francesco Bagnaia’s record for the largest-ever comeback if he manages to overhaul Bezzecchi’s advantage.