“Marc wants to show to himself that he’s the fastest, not the best, because to be fastest is the only thing you can do yourself. It’s the people who must say who’s the best.”
That’s one of Marc Márquez’s mechanics talking, so who is the greatest motorcycle racer, now and of all time?
There’s no doubt Márquez is the greatest rider of the moment, indeed of the last 13 seasons.
He’s been making history ever since he arrived in the premier class: he is still the youngest MotoGP king and now the fifth oldest, with the longest title-winning career of all time. Before Márquez, the riders with the longest title-winning careers were Giacomo Agostini, who won his last championships ten years after his first, and Valentino Rossi, whose title-winning career lasted nine years. Marc’s first and latest titles span 13 years and he’s probably not done yet.
Is Márquez the GOAT? Like his mechanic says, that’s up to the people to decide and different people have different opinions.
Márquez celebrating second place behind brother Alex at Barcelona-Catalunya earlier this month
Dorna/MotoGP
What’s my opinion, for what it’s worth? My opinions aren’t really my own. The reason I’ve been travelling to MotoGP races for the past 38 years is to get the truth from the only people that know, the only people that matter: current riders, former riders, engineers, technicians, team bosses, medical professionals and so on. These are the people who inform my opinions.
During all that time I’ve never known the paddock and pitlane to be so in awe of a rider as they are of Márquez. Rossi, Mick Doohan and Casey Stoner came close, but even they didn’t arouse the same level of stupefaction from the world’s greatest motorcycle racers and engineers.
“How the f**k does he do it?” is the usual reaction.
Here’s an engineer – whose first job in MotoGP was working with three-times champion Wayne Rainey – talking about Márquez, “Marc needs it, he craves it. He’s so focused. The other guys are like spoiled little brats.”
Márquez overtaking 2025 team-mate Pecco Bagnaia
Ducati Corse
And here’s a rider talking about Marc’s speed, “F***ing hell, it hurts. It hurts.”
And here are two paddock people – both in MotoGP for around 40 years each – talking about the race which nearly ended Márquez’s career, Jerez 2020, when he came through from the back of the pack to third, before crashing and breaking his right humerus (the upper arm).
“Marc’s race that day was the greatest I’ve ever seen, he made the best look slow. He would’ve won the next four titles.”
“That ride is etched in my memory. All the other guys should’ve gone home, they should’ve gone on holiday, because they looked like beginners.”
And here’s a multiple MotoGP champion, who’s also worthy of consideration for the GOAT mantle, “Marc’s talent is to a level that hasn’t been seen before.”
“How he handles the Michelin front tyre is still a mystery – I really don’t know how he manages it”
What are the metrics by which we should judge motorcycle racers?
First, riding talent and technique. I agree with the multiple MotoGP champion above. No one matches Márquez on riding ability. When he came to MotoGP he introduced a new skill, sliding the front tyre, which is arguably the cornerstone of his successes. Thirteen years later, no one else has learned to lock and slide the front like he does.
“His control of the front is unique,” another paddock perennial told me. “The way he side-slides the front tyre, he’s the only rider that can do that.”
This skill comes from his supernatural feel for the front tyre, his reflexes and his ability to use his elbows as outriggers.
“Marc can play with the limit because he knows he will have two warnings from the front tyre and he will save them, whereas you will have one and you will crash,” says one of his rivals.
And there’s more, from another engineer, “How he handles the Michelin front tyre is still a mystery – I really don’t know how he manages it. He gains so much time in braking, but often his front tyre temperature is the lowest. It’s very strange.”
This is one reason why he can overtake when others can’t.
Márquez, Ducati Corse boss Gigi Dall’Igna (grey beard) and the factory Ducati team celebrate championship victory in Japan
Ducati Corse
“Marc is a master at balancing on the edge of traction,” says another engineer. “Because he feels the limit better than everybody else, ‘OK, I’m sliding the front and I’m going to crash if I don’t do something about it.’ That reaction takes longer for other riders.”
It’s important to remember that Márquez has spent his entire MotoGP career on spec tyres, so he’s never enjoyed tailor-made tyres, built to suit his technique. And he’s spent most of his time in MotoGP riding with spec electronics, so he’s never luxuriated in predictive rider control systems, built for his riding style.
Second, intellect. I’d say Rossi runs him close on this metric. Intellect is a huge part of racing, because you need a very special mind to be able to ride at 220mph while making hundreds of subconscious and conscious decisions every few seconds, while also planning the next lap, the lap after that, the last lap, your next overtake and everything else.