When Marc Marquez made his MotoGP debut in 2013, he was immediately thrust into a championship battle with some of the sport’s biggest names — Yamaha legends Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, as well as his Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa.
Looking back on that rookie season more than a decade later, Marquez, now the current Ducati title leader, described each race as a test of perfection.
“Every weekend fighting against Lorenzo, Valentino, Dani was like an exam,” Marquez said. “I had to ride perfectly just to keep up with them.”
Marquez ultimately secured the world title at the final round in Valencia. He recalled the emotional and mental pressure of that moment.
“Fighting for the championship in Valencia is one of the trickiest situations a rider can face,” he explained. “You have to manage not only the race but everything going on around you — the atmosphere, the pressure — and stay calm and focused.”
His early career featured high-stakes battles on and off the track. While most rivalries have softened with time, his fractured relationship with Rossi remains unresolved.
Now, the title picture is quite different. Marquez leads the world championship with his closest challenger being his younger brother, Alex Marquez.
“It’s a pleasure to be battling my brother. If I lose, at least the victory stays in the family,” Marc joked. “But seriously, we know each other well, and our relationship hasn’t changed. If anything, we’re closer now. I want the best for him, and he wants the best for me.”
Marc heads into the British Grand Prix with a 22-point lead over Alex. Ducati teammate and former double world champion Francesco Bagnaia is third in the standings, trailing by 51 points.
