Hard to believe, but in only 16 events, the number 93 has already broken the total points record for a single season. Remember, it’s only his first season as a factory Ducati rider and on a bike that in the hands of 2 other superstars (Pecco Bagnaia and Fabio DiGiantonnio) has been hot and cold, track to track. The ‘Ant of Cervera’, who has won 6 World Titles with Honda HRC, now looks to win his first with Ducati (key word is ‘first’) at Honda HRC’s home track (Motegi, Japan).
He needs only to outscore his younger brother Alex, who hasn’t looked as threatening since fracturing his hand at the Dutch GP, by just 7 points across the Sprint and Race. He’ll be really looking to clinch it here as up next is Indonesia, a track he has never finished on Sunday and has a shocking record of crashing there.
Throughout practice Marc looked unsettled on his GP25, the first time he hasn’t looked so comfortable this season. To put salt in that wound, his factory teammate Pecco Bagnaia, looked red hot from Practice 1 with what looks to be a very different Ducati under him. Pecco had said that the test in Misano and the help from VR46 and legend Casey Stoner resulted in his “best test” of the season.
So with a little team rivalry, it will be interesting to see how much Marc is willing to push for the win, or will he settle with just securing the championship. Knowing Marc’s attitude, it’s unlikely he’ll not be in the mix.
After all his injuries, the setbacks and the full change over to new machinery, it would be one of the greatest (if not greatest) comeback’s in sporting history! If he clinches the win this weekend, it will have been 6 years (or 2184 days) since he was last champion. Hard to believe that he kept enough confidence in himself to not give up and get that elusive 7th MotoGP Title. The beef he has with Rossi and the determination to 1-UP him has been clearly on his mind since that famous 2015 battle. One I’m sure Rossi regrets.
It’s pretty clear that its only a matter of time, of which he has plenty, but what happens once he has that weight lifted off his shoulders??? My guess is he will hunt down every race with even more …. Marquez dominance … than ever before. His next target will be Rossi’s 89 wins, and he’s already on 72 and with a chance to add up to 6 more to that.
The Comeback is loading ….
