Former GP rider and double WorldSBK champion Max Biaggi says he expects Marc Marquez to smash all MotoGP records by claiming at least ten world titles.
Marquez wrapped up his sixth MotoGP World Championship title – bringing him up to eight on the GP stage including his 125GP and Moto2 crowns – to stamp his claim to the fabled ‘Greatest of all time’ tag (or GOAT for short).
Perhaps the most extraordinary statistic from Marquez’s achievements, which now total 56 wins from 127 starts, is he is just 26-years old. As a reference point, Valentino Rossi achieved his seventh 500/MotoGP title aged 33, while Giacomo Agostini was also 33 when he won his eighth premier class championship.
It’s this comparatively rapid career ascension that Biaggi believes will see Marquez far surpass Rossi and Agostini’s achievements, stating to Speedweek.de: ‘I think Marc will continue for a very long time. He is very young and I think he will win more than ten world titles.’
With this in mind, Biaggi thinks it will take another rider to step up to Marquez’s level to defeat – or simply pressure – him, but he sees potential in Fabio Quartararo based on his ability to prove instantly quick with a clear room for improvement.
"Everyone says that Marc is the strongest, and I'm sure that's true, whether it's about talent or whatever. But if you look at the guys who have arrived, at Quartararo not only the poles and podiums are impressive, but also his will to fight forwards. "
How long will Marc Marquez’s MotoGP reign be?
While there will always be opposition to the prospect of a rider dominating over a long period because, well we all want to see a competitive sport, it's difficult to begrudge Marquez for the achievements he has already attained.
During his seven seasons in the top-flight Marquez has won six of them, with his 2019 success of finishing all-but-one race inside the top two arguably making this his most formidable performance.
Right now, it’s hard to see how Marquez’s relentless momentum will stop, not necessarily because he cannot be beaten on track per se, but because he barely drops any points when he doesn’t win.
His biggest rival could well become himself. Marquez crashed 14 times in 2019, a big improvement on the 27 he managed in 2018, but he won both titles because he restricted the offs to practice and qualifying, not doubt finding that limit so as not to overstep it when it really matters. A quirky but symptomatic sign of a true champion.
We have a few years yet to find out whether Marquez can take his premier class title tally to double figures, but many wonder (or hope) he will attempt it outside of his Honda bubble eventually. Are you listening, KTM?
Marquez is 14 years younger than Rossi. The term ‘time is on his side’ is surely no truer than in this context…
