MotoGP News: Marc Marquez: Riding Roughshod Over MotoGP Once Again

In the high-octane world of MotoGP, where split-second decisions and raw talent collide at speeds exceeding 350 km/h, one name echoes louder than ever: Marc Marquez (pictured).

–by Mark Cipolloni–

The eight-time world champion, now 32 and riding for the factory Ducati Lenovo Team, has transformed the 2025 season into a personal showcase of dominance, sweeping 10 of 14 Grands Prix and 13 of 14 Sprint races to amass a staggering 455 points – a lead of 175 over his closest rival, brother Alex Marquez.

This isn’t just a resurgence; it’s a demolition, with Marquez securing seven consecutive doubles (Sprint and GP wins) from Aragon to Hungary, eclipsing even his legendary 2014 and 2019 campaigns. As the series hurtles toward its flyaway rounds, Marquez’s iron grip on the championship – potentially clinchable at Misano – masks a Ducati “superstar” era that’s both exhilarating and eerily one-sided, while subtle shifts in the paddock hint at a more competitive future.

Marquez’s 2025 odyssey began with fireworks at the Qatar Grand Prix, where he claimed pole, the Sprint win, and the GP victory – his first perfect weekend on the Desmosedici GP25. The Spanish maestro, who gambled on leaving Honda’s ailing RC213V after four injury-plagued years, has since rewritten the record books.

His Hungarian GP triumph at the debuting Balaton Park circuit – pole, Sprint double, and a 4.3-second GP win over Pedro Acosta (KTM) and Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) – marked his 10th GP victory of the season, a 71.4% win rate that surpasses his own 2019 benchmark and places him among MotoGP’s elite historical performers.

“It’s not normal to win every weekend,” Marquez admitted post-race, reflecting on a “scary moment” with Bezzecchi at Turn 2, yet his calculated aggression turned potential chaos into another procession. With 72 career GP wins, he’s now second all-time behind only Valentino Rossi’s 89, and his seven straight GP wins across two manufacturers (Honda in 2014, Ducati now) is an unprecedented feat.

Ducati’s role in this blitzkrieg cannot be understated. The Italian powerhouse, already constructors’ champions for a record sixth straight year, has locked up 23 total wins this season – 14 in the second half alone – fueling the so-called “Ducati Cup.” Marquez’s factory GP25, a minor evolution of the dominant GP24, has been untouchable, with the team topping every qualifying and most race sessions.

Yet, as paddock insider Carlo Pernat bluntly stated after Hungary, “Ducati owes its very existence to Marquez.” Without the #93’s brilliance, Pernat argues, the Borgo Panigale squad would be “floundering at the back,” especially as teammate Francesco Bagnaia – the two-time defending champion – spirals with just one win and ninth-place finishes marred by braking woes.

Bagnaia’s points haul dropped from 124 in the first half to 104 in the second, while Marquez surged from 196 to 259. Other Ducati satellites like Enea Bastianini, Jorge Martin (now at Aprilia), and rookies Fermin Aldeguer have contributed podiums, but Marquez’s 85.8% capture of available points underscores his singular impact. Ducati General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna praised the “best Sunday I’ve ever lived,” but even he knows the reliance on one rider is precarious.

This Marquez-fueled Ducati hegemony has turned many races into foregone conclusions, prompting debates on the sport’s parity. In the first seven rounds (Thailand to Great Britain), Ducati swept all Sprint podiums and 17 of 21 GP podiums, with non-Ducati wins limited to Honda’s Johann Zarco in rainy Le Mans and Aprilia’s Bezzecchi at Silverstone.

The second half showed cracks: Ducati’s Sprint podium monopoly broke with KTM and Aprilia intrusions, and the Hungarian GP featured four manufacturers (Ducati, KTM, Aprilia, Honda) in the top five – the first since 2023’s Indian GP. Acosta’s P2 was KTM’s best since their off-season woes, Bezzecchi’s P3 extended his podium streak to every round since Assen, and Martin’s charge from 16th to fourth on Aprilia was a season highlight despite injuries.

Honda’s Luca Marini (P5) and Joan Mir’s top-10 finishes signal a chassis update breathing life into the Japanese giant, while Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo battles uncompetitive machinery but snagged a Sprint podium.

These glimpses of resistance paint a changing picture. Ducati’s early-season stranglehold (38 of 42 podiums in the first half) has loosened to 30 of 36 in the latter, with Aprilia claiming six GP podiums and KTM five. Emerging talents like Acosta (48 points gained in the last seven rounds) and Bezzecchi (59 more) are closing on Alex Marquez for second overall, 31 points adrift.

Marquez himself warns against complacency: “It’s dangerous to think Ducati will keep dominating,” citing rivals’ winter upgrades – Yamaha’s new engine debut at San Marino, KTM’s resurgence, Aprilia’s depth, and Honda’s grit. A Ducati rival’s top manager echoed this, noting Marquez’s post-injury evolution at 32 reveals “the level of the riders is stacked,” making his dominance even more monstrous.

As MotoGP eyes the San Marino GP and beyond, Marquez’s roughshod ride – evoking his “Ant of Cervera” nickname with tactical brilliance and unyielding hunger – has elevated Ducati to new heights but exposed vulnerabilities.

With 120 points clear and eight full-point hauls from 12 events, the #93 is on track for a seventh MotoGP crown, potentially his most dominant yet. The grid is evolving, but for now, Marquez reigns supreme, turning the series into his playground. The flyaways loom – will rivals finally shatter the Ducati dream, or will Marquez’s thunder roll on unchallenged?