At the Mugello weekend, Marc Marquez sat eighth in the championship, a massive 102 points behind the leader. Fast forward to the eve of the Misano round, and he has slashed that deficit to just 19 points, climbing to second. A revival that seemed almost impossible after his Sprint crash at Le Mans and the subsequent surgery.
So how did he do it? Of course, his own brilliance and the raw pace of his Ducati were key. The #93 has won four of the last six Grands Prix, including three perfect weekends with victories in both the Sprint and the main race at Balaton, Sachsenring, and Aragon. At Assen and Silverstone, however, he adopted a more defensive approach, focused on limiting the damage.
Meanwhile, his direct rivals, especially the Aprilia riders, have been their own worst enemies. In this six-round mini-championship, Marquez has scored 55 points more than his nearest challenger, Ai Ogura. Jorge Martin has lost 66 points compared to Marquez, while Marco Bezzecchi has hemorrhaged 107 points after four consecutive DNFs in main races since his Mugello victory.
Ogura was the only rider who could match Marquez's consistency, but his injury-forced absence from Aragon could spell the end of his title dreams. Additionally, points have been shared among the Aprilia riders—sometimes Ogura, sometimes Raul Fernandez, sometimes Martin, sometimes Bezzecchi—meaning they have been taking points off each other, inadvertently aiding Marquez's charge.
Now, with just 24 points separating the top three and eight rounds remaining (Qatar looks set to be cancelled), it is almost like starting from scratch. The title will go to the strongest rider, but also the one who makes the fewest mistakes. Marquez's quest for a tenth crown is well and truly alive, and this story is far from over.
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