Marc Marquez is closing in on a significant MotoGP milestone held by Valentino Rossi as he aims for a ninth world championship. After making gains at the British MotoGP, Marquez looks to further narrow the gap this weekend at Aragon, where the season continues to unfold. Rossi holds nine world titles overall, a figure Marquez has been attempting to reach since 2019, currently sitting at eight. Marquez leads the MotoGP championship standings after seven of 22 rounds, strengthening his bid to equal his longtime rival’s achievement.
Marquez told the BBC,
“Of course nine is a number that I would like to achieve because it is the next number in my career and we will try.”
He acknowledged the significance, adding,
“And it is true it would equal Valentino Rossi in championships.”
Comparing Records and Challenges Ahead for Marquez
While Rossi’s record includes seven premier-class titles, Marquez currently holds six in that category. He is not only targeting the overall championship tally but also other records Rossi set during his distinguished career. Marquez’s dominant performances on the Ducati factory team this season position him as the frontrunner for a ninth world title, with a potential 10th title within reach in 2026. Rossi’s record of 89 race wins is another benchmark that Marquez, with 65 victories so far, could challenge depending on his racing longevity.
Marquez has surpassed an earlier generation of racers and has established a competitive style that younger riders now emulate. Reflecting on his debut years, he said,
“When I arrived in MotoGP I was fighting against big names – Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa, Valentino Rossi,”
and noted the shift in competition:
“The main difference when I arrived in MotoGP to now is that now I am fighting against the younger talents that arrive from Moto2 and they are super competitive.”
Evolution in Riding Style and Approach to Racing
Marquez explained how his riding technique has influenced the sport, stating,
“I introduced the elbow and a new riding style and now when the younger riders arrive, they introduce another thing so I need to adapt.”
Over the years, his focus has shifted towards balancing risk and safety. He observed,
“I think more about the safety and I try to calculate more the risks – at one of the strongest and weakest points of my career it was difficult to see the risk.”
Addressing his physical challenges, Marquez added,
“Ten years ago, I was like ‘my body is just for riding a bike, I don’t care – I am fit and I will recover’, but now I understand that recovering from some injuries are super difficult.”
Having overcome serious injuries suffered in 2020 that threatened his career, he continues to adapt and push forward.
Returning to Aragon and Championship Battles Among Brothers
This weekend, Marc Marquez returns to his home ground at Aragon, where he and his brother Alex Marquez are both competing fiercely. Marc currently leads the championship by 24 points ahead of Alex, who is his closest rival in the standings. The upcoming race is pivotal as Marc hopes to overcome recent issues with his Ducati GP25 bike, which have challenged his performance in recent events. Success here could bolster his momentum toward securing the elusive ninth world title that would place him on par with Valentino Rossi’s legendary record.
