The Ducati is the best bike on the grid, put one of the best riders of his generation on that bike and you get what you saw this weekend. Significantly, as far as I am aware, MM didn’t fall off once and that should tell you volumes. Andy
Pecco called it today . Marquez was just playing with them. It was clear to see how at ease he is on that bike, and the grin he wears shows that he knows that barring an injury it’s going to be his season. Don’t think he can believe how lucky he’s landed with that factory Ducati. It’s probably going to be a difficult year as a fan of the sport. Do you marvel at his talent or become bored senseless with the procession behind him ?
I marvel at his talent, however it's going to be a who's going to be the better runner up. I'll just watch the championship results as it's just going to be a very uninteresting event.
Only saw the moto go race.Was going to watch the highlights of this but might give it a miss now haha My fault for looking.
If Pecco wants to compete, he will have to ride harder than ever. His idea of taking less risks than last year will not work against MM. Imo, the only rider who might have taken it to MM was Martin. But not on that Aprilia, and by the time he is back racing Marc could already have a huge lead. Could be a very disappointing season for those wanting entertaining racing, Ducati might have killed it for this year.
That's what happens when you marry up one of the best talents in the modern era with the best package. If I were making that choice from a Ducati standpoint, why would you not? It's great for business and it will net them millions in sales. If that comes at the expense of a spectacle, I really don't think they care, as that won't balance their books at the end of the year. I wouldn't write off the season just yet, however. Martin is only likely to miss at worst the next round in Argentina then should be back in the fold (though I agree, the Aprilia doesnt look that competitive). MM's brother could still upset the apple cart and I don't think Pecco will just roll over and play dead for one moment. All this assumes nature and fate don't intervene such as the weather, injuries and DNF's, anyone of which could ruin MM's championship campaign. It will be some months yet before it even begins to look like a foregone conclusion. I think we all want to see a close battle to the bitter end but at least Dorna and the FIM haven't yet widened the gulf even further between teams, with their ill-conceived restrictions and regulations, as has happened with WBSK.
I really think MM is just going to absolutely dominate this season. It might be boring but he will have deserved it, rebuilt his career and himself, rode well last year, and now not making mistakes. Honestly he looks smooth and like he’s not trying, it’s a really ominous sign
The results flatter some riders in terms of their placing in the 1-10 finishing order. Just look at the times to see how far behind MM they actually are. The first five places were within 7 seconds of the winner MM. The next best was +14 seconds all the way to +21 seconds for tenth spot. Pecco just has to try and break up the Marc & Alex show !
Martin has broken his scaphoid, amongst a host a of other bones and is likely to be out for a couple of months. Can't see him being as competitive if or when he returns. Hodgson was saying it can be career ending. In the meantime we will have to be content with watching possibly the greatest rider ever playing with the other riders, unless Pecco can find more speed.
Interesting. Yesterday in idle moments I was pondering this myself. I was always a huge Rossi fan - The Goat - and therefore my appreciation of MM was somewhat limited. But, with the way he left Honda, then last year’s amazing results and now this weekend ( before even considering the physical issues he has had to overcome) I actually think that, yes, Marquez is The Goat.
Neither of them can hold a candle to Giacomo Agostini The only aspect of MM’s career that was holding him back IMO, was not winning the world championship with 2 different manufacturers. Like others, I think that is probably a formality this year which will put him in a club of 3, post 500cc era MotoGP and a club of 6 in all engine format motorcycle world championships. Andy
Marquez still has issues with his arm, its not as it should be and never will be now. To ride like he does is just astonishing. I get the Agostini and possibly Hailwood arguments, and those can never be proven as the bikes are incomparable but certainly in the years i have been watching bike racing then no one gets close to Marquez IMHO. He is just very very quick and quicker than anyone else he has ever come up against.
It's an ominous start. The only thing to note is that Pecco was slower all weekend than he was last year, so maybe he is just taking more time to adjust to the 2025. Marquez for me was undeniably the fastest racer we've ever seen (a combination of ridiculous skill, ability to adapt to all conditions/bikes quickly and ruthless racing) but the main hope is that he isn't at his best any more.
Highly likely he isn’t. But an 85% MM93 is probably still good enough to win it looking at this year’s runners and riders. He’s some boy alright.
Not much talk about the brits. Thought jd96 did well, no broken bones or bikes and a comfortable 7th. Keep clear of injuries and keep Canet in your sights, you’re likely to be in with a chance of the title (and he will flap it at some point).
