Marc Marquez’s revelation: how he has changed after the surgery

Marc Marquez won in Malaysia and will arrive in Qatar (amid a thousand controversies) with his first match point. The Ducati rider could be crowned MotoGP world champion again in Lusail if he scores 30 points more than Martin and 8 more than Bezzecchi. A legendary feat that crowns a career built on talent, sacrifice, crashes and comebacks. Marc has shown that limits are made to be surpassed.

Marc Marquez was quietly pleased after his victory at Sepang, his seventh of the season. For several days now, the paddock has been talking about the much-dreaded trip to Qatar, with Yamaha having already announced its withdrawal and many other riders forced to take to the track against their wishes. The #93 is among them, and he will have no choice but to go (his brother will miss the race to undergo a minor shoulder operation). He chose to keep quiet when the media pressed him about Lusail.

Better to focus on the MotoGP title, which is almost within reach. "There are still a few races left, and many moments still to experience, so we have to stay focused". It could hardly have gone better in Malaysia: second in the Sprint, first in the full-length race, putting the finishing touches on a season that got off to a difficult start. Just consider his 102-point deficit to then championship leader Marco Bezzecchi after the Italian GP at Mugello. "I think the adrenaline, the strength you feel when you know you're fighting for a title... mentally, I'm reaching levels I couldn't reach before".

Marc Marquez has definitely changed his approach in recent years. And that is one of the secrets behind his latest MotoGP success. "Right now, I can't be impulsive; I can't be so explosive. If I want to fight for this championship all the way to the end, I have to be calmer and more calculating... while still following my instincts."

His eighth MotoGP title, and tenth of his career, is within reach. What has made the difference this year: the rider, the bike or his physical condition? His answer was crystal clear: "The team. I said it, I don't know if it was at the start of the season. I have the best bike and the best team to get the most out of it, and that's why I'm confident". But the 33-year-old from Cervera has also played a major part, and he reveals a secret. "I'd say it was more about adaptation than rehabilitation", Marc Marquez said. "I tried to adapt my riding style. I ride differently from last year, but I'm still able to be fast".

Since the start of the championship, he has had to deal with radial nerve problems in his shoulder. In fact, after the weekend at Le Mans, a crash sent him back to the operating room, and he missed his home Grand Prix in Catalunya. Since then, something has changed in his riding style, and he has also matured mentally. "It's strange, but I'm worse in left-handers and better in right-handers. I don't know why, but I don't have the same control in left-hand corners, whereas I do better in right-handers. But it's true that I still handle left-hand corners better than right-handers... In the second half of the season, I managed to control my instincts, which have always been a weak point in my career".

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