When Mark Marquez arrived at MotoGP in 2013, he was thrown straight into a title battle with Yamaha multi-time champion Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi, plus his own rep, Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa.
Marquez won the final round and looked back on his debut season 13 years later, describing each event of that season as a “test.”
“When I arrived at MotoGP, the ticks were fighting Lorenzo, Valentino and Dani every weekend,” said Marquez, Ducati’s current title leader.
“It seemed like if you wanted to follow that, you had to ride it in the perfect way.
“Then when you arrive at the Valencia race that is fighting for the championship, that is the trickiest point for the rider.
“It’s because you need to manage everything around you and stay calm and focused, not just what happens on the racetrack.”
Marquez’s early title battles included a high-pressure showdown against his famous rival.
The cleft with Rossi remains, but most of it has healed over time.
All of this contrasts with the current title situation where Mark’s nearest World Championship rival is nothing more than his younger brother Alex.
“It’s a joy to fight my brother because if I fight him, if I lose, it’ll stay with my family!” Mark said.
“But aside the jokes, we know each other, and most importantly, the championship situation didn’t change our relationship.
“We’re tighter than ever… I want the best for him, and he want the best for me.”
Mark will arrive at Motogup in England this weekend, taking a 22-point lead over Alex.
