Rivals are once again feeling Marc Márquez’s breath in MotoGP, the same competitive devil who exactly 16 years ago today won his first world championship race as a teenager. Neither the passage of time, nor his 99 victories and nine titles since then —seven in the premier class— have changed the essence of the 93, who, when he lowers his helmet visor, always gives his all, regardless of the endless injuries and operations his body hides, a victim of almost 300 painful falls throughout his two decades as a professional. The latest was this very Saturday during the start of qualifying, where he got up as usual and proceeded to crush the rest of the grid at the Hungarian GP, achieving an undeniable pole position and sprint victory 28 days after his last surgical intervention.
He has accumulated nine surgeries on his battered right arm since late 2019, and he admits that at 33 years old and with his medical history, he still feels far from his best form. Well, his opponents will think. He is far from the leaders in the standings, but always close in everyone’s mind, now more than ever. Márquez started the weekend more than 100 points behind the championship leader, Marco Bezzecchi, who could only be sixth on the grid, but then salvaged a very valuable podium in the short race behind the Ducati stalwart and KTM’s Pedro Acosta from Murcia, the only one capable of matching the speed of the defending champion at Balaton Park, a track where only he has won.
“If I’m fighting for victory or the podium, it means the others are doing something wrong,” Márquez had commented upon his arrival at the Hungarian circuit, although several of his rivals had already pointed out that they saw him perfectly in tune to contend for the win. “It’s normal that he wants to take the pressure off himself, but the rest of us can’t keep up with him,” Martín agreed after taking a look at Friday’s pace. The Madrid native could only be sixth after a poor qualifying session.
Indeed, when the moment of truth arrived, Márquez flew faster than anyone and then set an unmatched pace in the first laps of the sprint to pull two seconds ahead. He didn’t even have to look back. He was able to manage and even slow down the pace in the final laps, a positive fact given that he still lacks the stamina and necessary strength in his arm as the laps progress. “On Friday I was in eco mode. Today I gave it my all. If you start from the front row, it helps a lot. The strategy was to push hard at the beginning, three full laps, and then manage the rest of the race. It went well and I was able to save. But this Sunday we’ll see, because the race will be longer,” commented the winner.
27 days ago he was in an operating room. Today he wins again in MotoGP 🔥
And he does it in his style. Crash in qualifying. Pole position. Sprint victory 🐐
There are riders who rise to adversity… AND THEN THERE’S HIM #HungarianGP 🇭🇺 #MotoGP 🏁 pic.twitter.com/oXF7JKz2vA
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— DAZN España (@DAZN_ES) June 6, 2026
“In three days my physique hasn’t changed, but the circuit has. It’s time to enjoy the good moment. Whether I’ll make a comeback in the World Championship or not, we’ll see, but I’m going to try even if we die on the shore,” he added in statements to Dazn, where he also praised Acosta, one of the irreverent youngsters destined to dethrone him someday. “Luckily he’s not riding a Ducati yet,” he blurted out. The 22-year-old from Murcia is still chasing his first win on Sunday and already has the contract in his drawer that will pair him in the garage with the defending champion from 2027. “We have to be happy, we’re still lacking, but I’ve matured a lot as a rider. Hopefully, the day will come when the bike feels the same two days in a row,” noted the Spanish contender.
Leader Bezzecchi, by the way, called journalists and fans crazy who dared to write off the seven-time MotoGP champion, who has already won three sprint races in 2026 but still hasn’t made it to the podium on Sunday, where he hasn’t won since mid-September last year. “It seems unbelievable, don’t they have a memory? Marc was almost 200 points ahead of the second-placed rider last year when he won the title in Japan,” recalled the Aprilia stalwart. He only failed to emphasize another impressive detail: there were still five Grands Prix left to be contested when he recaptured the crown.
Now, Márquez’s difference with the Italian is 97 points when 37 are distributed each weekend, so nothing is impossible.
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