The debate over MotoGP’s greatest of all time (GOAT) continues to ignite passionate discussion, especially when it comes to the sport’s modern titans — Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez. In a TNT Sports feature, former MotoGP and World Superbike riders Cal Crutchlow, James Toseland, and Neil Hodgson shared their personal verdicts on who reigns supreme.
Crutchlow, who rode alongside Marquez during his Honda years, highlighted the Spaniard’s unmatched brake control as a key trait.
“Marc figured out that the more you lean into the corner, the more deceleration you get — and instead of reacting by backing off when the front locks, he leaned more. Nobody else could do that,” Crutchlow explained.
Toseland, on the other hand, credited Rossi’s impact beyond racing.
“This is a show. What Valentino brought to the sport, off the track and off the bike, was gold. He lifted the whole MotoGP brand. It’ll be a long time before anyone brings that kind of charisma again,” Toseland said.
Yet Hodgson argued the defining factor lies in their head-to-head battles.
“They raced each other from 2013 to 2021. Marc came in as a rookie and beat Rossi. He won seven or eight times out of ten against Valentino. That seals it for me — Marquez is the greatest,” he stated.
Crutchlow echoed Hodgson’s conclusion, putting Marquez above Rossi in the GOAT discussion. Toseland, however, stopped short of naming one over the other, instead placing Marquez “equal to the greatest” for his resilience and achievements.
With opinions divided — one favouring technical dominance, another legacy, and a third calling it on direct competition — the GOAT debate remains far from settled. But one thing is certain: both riders have defined eras and left legacies that will shape MotoGP for generations.
