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Marc Marquez is, inarguably, one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time. In his seven years as a MotoGP rider he won an astounding, near-perfect six world championships. His name is up there with the likes of Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi, and Giacomo Agostini for all-out track dominance — or it was, until a horrible 2020 crash forced him into years of injury, pain, and rehabilitation. Many thought his career was over, many others thought it should be, but Marquez proved them wrong yesterday by securing the 2025 Rider's Championship and matching Rossi's seven (ish) MotoGP world championships.
Back in 2020's weird Covid-addled MotoGP season, Marquez suffered a debilitating highside crash during the season's first race in Jerez, Spain. That crash broke his right humerus, and sent him into surgery — then into more crashes, more surgery, and more time off the bike. All told, Marquez missed 30 races, and he came back to a changed MotoGP. One in which his longtime team, Honda, couldn't carry him to victory.
Marquez could have retired, and still been remembered as a great whose career was cut short by a tragic injury. Instead, he moved to Ducati — first on the Gresini Racing satellite team alongside his brother Alex, and then on a factory bike for 2025. That factory bike proved dominant for him this year, even as teammate Francesco Bagnaia struggled, and yesterday Marc finally proved that he's still the racer he ever was. Perhaps even better than ever, with more determination and conviction under his belt than he had when he won his first MotoGP title at just 20 years old.
Marquez didn't win yesterday's race at Motegi, but he won the points needed to secure his championship lead — a lead already guaranteed against nearly all competitors save his brother. Hearing him scream and cry as he passed the finish line, watching his fellow racers congratulate him, truly felt like a comeback years in the making. Marquez earned that victory, he fought for it, and by god he deserved it.
