Marc Marquez: A Valentino Rossi record in his sights

Days of relaxation for Marc Marquez, back in his snow-blanketed Cervera, in the company of his girlfriend Gemma Pinto and his inseparable brother Alex. The countdown to the MotoGP tests in Sepang has already begun and the Ducati champion seems to have shaken off his injury. In the meantime, he’s also taking the opportunity to speak with the media...

The 2025 MotoGP season saw Marc Marquez dominate the championship, clinching the title at Motegi. However, the following weekend he suffered an injury that forced him to miss the remaining Grands Prix, after contact with Bezzecchi’s Aprilia. The #93 also had to skip the Valencia test, where the Borgo Panigale factory brought some updates to the track in view of the next World Championship.

The nine-time world champion continues to work to be at 100%, both physically and mentally, even at the cost of skipping vacations. Traveling around Spain for commercial commitments or leisure visits, Marc Marquez spoke on Ana Pastor’s program 'El Objetivo'. Among the various topics was his homeland, Catalonia, long considered a distinct region from Spain.

But the Cervera ace avoids taking sides... "I love Catalonia, I’m Catalan, but I also feel Spanish. In Catalonia we race with the Catalan flag, in Jerez with the Spanish flag. When we travel the world, with the Spanish flag, because that’s how fans find you. It doesn’t mean anything else, it’s simply the moment."

The Ducati rider also shared some of his rituals during MotoGP weekends. Among them, wearing blue underwear for training and red for races. He also changes his clothes at exactly the same minute and the helmet at exactly the same second. Another ritual is putting on the right glove first and then the earplug in the same ear. This routine, while it may seem excessive at first glance, has undoubtedly helped him climb back to the top.

In 2026 there are two records in Marc Marquez’s sights. He won the 2025 MotoGP World Championship title, but he has not (yet) reached two milestones that seemed within his grasp. On September 14, he triumphed at Misano. It was the 73rd victory of his MotoGP career and the 99th across all classes of the World Championship. With six Grands Prix still to be contested at that point in the season, no one doubted that the Ducati standard-bearer would celebrate his 100th victory before the end of the season.

Unfortunately, the shoulder injury sustained at Mandalika halted his triumphant march. If Marquez manages to fully recover from the injury, the 100th win will almost certainly arrive during the 2026 season. Beyond the 100th victory, one of the main goals will be to become the rider with the most wins since the start of the MotoGP era (2002). This record is still held by Valentino Rossi, who has 76 MotoGP wins, while Marquez stands at 73.