Marc Marquez’s Returns to the Top in One of the Greatest Comebacks in Sports
If you watch MotoGP, no doubt you had goosebumps or tears as Marc Marquez, with five races left on the calendar, took the 2025 World Championship in Japan.
As I sat on the edge of my seat watching the race, I reflected on the first time (the only time) I was fortunate enough to attend a MotoGP in person. Ironically, I was travelling to that MotoGP with Ducati. It was the inaugural season in MotoGP for Marc Marquez after replacing Casey Stoner with Repsol Honda. It was also the last time the MotoGP would be held at Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca in California.
Looking back, Marquez was so young, vibrant, energetic and as he took the podium in top spot, after a heart-stopping overtaking of Valentino Rossi in the corkscrew, Marquez was just getting started. I was standing in front of the podium, with my camera in hand, getting showered with champagne. That year, his inaugural year, Marquez earn his first world championship in MotoGP – a testament of his determination.
Interestingly enough, that would be the year that Alpinestars would introduce the airbag into their race suits. They couldn’t have timed that any better as fans would witness Marc Marquez flying through the air, race after race, pushing his limits on a bike that wouldn’t perform. Fans would witness the frustration build as Marc Marquez bounced through the gravel, slid out in the corners and his reputation as the best becoming tarnished to the point of walking away from Honda, and losing his seat on a factory team.
Over the years, fans watched as he struggled, dealt with injuries and began his climb back to the top. His younger brother Alex now among the ranks of competitors. Marquez remained in the news as he recovered from surgeries, returned to racing and earned a place on Ducati’s factory racing team to once again be World Champion. Congratulations Marc!
