Marc Marquez
Spain’s Marc Marquez has sealed a fairytale return to the top of MotoGP, winning his seventh world championship to draw level with Italian legend Valentino Rossi.
The 32-year-old secured the crown at the Japan Grand Prix, where he finished second behind Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia.
The result gave Marquez an unassailable lead in the standings with five races to spare, ending his six-year wait for a title.
Overcome with emotion, Marquez broke down in tears as he crossed the finish line, holding his head in his hands before being embraced by his brother Alex Marquez, who was his closest rival in the championship but managed only sixth in Motegi.
“It’s impossible even to speak, I just want to enjoy the moment,” a tearful Marquez said. “It was super difficult, but now I’m at peace with myself.”
Marquez’s triumph completes a remarkable comeback story after years of setbacks. His dominance from 2016 to 2019 was halted by a devastating arm injury in 2020 that required four operations and kept him out for much of two seasons.
A series of further injuries and heavy crashes deepened the struggle, and in 2023 he ended an 11-year partnership with Honda to join Ducati.
“I made a big mistake in my career by coming back too early [from surgery],” Marquez admitted. “But I fought, I kept fighting—and I won again.”
The championship marks Marquez’s first since 2019 and cements his status as one of MotoGP’s all-time greats, now sharing seven premier-class titles with Rossi.