Mark Marquez chooses the motogp grid of his dreams – including the big “what if”

Mark Marquez highlights 5 names he considers to be a rival’s dream grid in MotoGP, with former Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa discovering the record.

In an interview with TNT Sport, the UK’s MotoGP broadcaster, the present championship chief was requested to decide on the six names that make up the grid of his desires.

“The dream grid is Dani Pedrosa, (Jorge) Lorenzo, Valentino (Rossi), the three guys I competed in.

Mark Marquez’s due to Pedrosa, the runner-up within the three-time MotoGP Championship, is properly documented as he served as a teammate at Honda between 2013 and 2018.

“I’ve realized quite a bit from Dani Pedrosa, however he is a teammate and I’ve realized probably the most about how he rides a MotoGP bike, what it’s important to do to get sooner,” Marquez mentioned in a current interview with Dazn.

“Dani had a handicap, and it was top and energy. I attempted to experience like him, however was stronger and somewhat extra aggressive.

“That is it, I attempted to repeat it as a result of he was the man on my bike.”

Pedrosa is taken into account the most effective rider in historical past and will not win the most effective class world title.

Collectively as teammates, Marquez beat Pedrosa within the rankings annually, recording extra wins than he.

Pedrosa retired on the finish of the 2018 season and joined KTM as a check rider.

Of that dream Grid Marquez point out, just one identify really beats him to the title: Jorge Lorenzo.

Marquez and Lorenzo confronted off in Valencia’s closing spherical, head-to-head in 2013, their authentic rookie season.

Lorenzo was finally defeated by Marquez, however in 2014 he wasn’t near him. Marquez’s title run was suspended in 2015.

Lorenzo gained in what fell right into a controversial marketing campaign, however up to now he’s the one rider to beat Marquez in a season when he was a authorized title challenger.

Head on, Rossi was in a position to make Marquez higher

The fallout between Rossi and Marquez is now nearly legendary within the MotoGP circle, a rivalry that continues to be re-evaluated because the latter approaches breaking his enemy’s information.

Rossi and Marquez by no means really fought for the title, however that they had a major proportion of the direct equal within the race. And in lots of circumstances, Rossi was in a position to come out to the highest. Their battle goes again to Marquez’s debut in 2013, when Rossi positioned second within the Qatar Grand Prix.

At Misano in 2014, Marquez made a mistake in the direction of Rossi, and the Italians managed to win. The pair linked through the 2015 Argentine Grand Prix, with Rossi on the high and once more on a controversial closing nook journey throughout gravel at Assen later that yr.

The pair additionally fought arduous for his or her victory at Barcelona in 2016, with Rossi successful at Grand Prix, which proved to be a uncommon boiling of pressure between them, within the wake of the tragic demise of Louis Salom earlier that weekend.

Rossi nonetheless has extra world titles than Marquez, however the Spaniards match that quantity this season. Because the first half of 2025, Marquez is now second in Rossi’s 70-19 premier class victory.

One thing large in Marquez’s profession

Typically, similarities are depicted between Marquez and Mick Doohan. Each are Honda’s dominant riders, and each have achieved success after struggling critical accidents.

Doohan gained 5 500cc world titles between 1994 and 1998, claiming 54 wins earlier than the damage retired. Profitable 5 titles in a row is one thing Marquez hasn’t finished but, and should not give MotoGP a panorama of ever-changing competitors.

However evaluating each correctly is at all times tough on account of how totally different the instances are.

On the subject of evaluating Marquez to Casey Stoner, it might have really been a demise. At one level in 2013, Honda had taken Marquez to the Premier class and was contemplating Stoner nonetheless on the manufacturing facility staff.

In an interview with Autosport in 2020, former Honda boss Livio Sapo instructed the creator:

Stoner retired from MotoGP on the finish of 2012 after spending simply seven seasons within the Premier class. Due to this, his two world titles and his tally of 38 wins actually does not precisely mirror the type of expertise he was.

In some ways, Stoner and Marquez are comparable riders of their strategy, and the pair as teammates would have made it for epic drama. Sadly, this may endlessly be one among MotoGP’s largest What ifs.