ASPAR SAYS MARQUEZ OUTPACED ROSSI IN PURE SPEED

Jorge “Aspar” Martinez has offered his view on the long-running comparison between Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi, describing the two champions as very different riders. Speaking on the Fast & Curious podcast, the former racer and current Moto2 and Moto3 team owner said Rossi may be the more complete competitor, but Marquez is “infinitely faster.”

Martinez raced alongside Rossi early in the Italian’s 125cc career. Rossi beat him to his first Grand Prix victory, at Brno in 1996. Marquez, meanwhile, equalled Rossi’s total of nine world titles last year.

Martinez said Marquez has left a distinctive mark on the sport through his riding style and approach. He praised the Spaniard’s aggression, his search for the limit and his ability to recover from injuries. “I have enormous admiration for the way he has managed his career,” Martinez said. He added that Marquez “deserves to be studied mentally” for his remarkable strength.

The admiration, Martinez stressed, does not mean he considers Rossi mentally ordinary. He described Rossi as special in that respect, while arguing that the challenges Marquez has faced and overcome are particularly striking. His comments refer to the injuries of recent years as well as the wider course of Marquez’s career.

Martinez also noted how Marquez’s approach has changed. Before his serious injuries, the Spaniard was a rider who “risked everything,” he said: “Either he won or he fell, he was brutal.” Now, with more experience, multiple titles and serious injuries behind him, Marquez weighs risk against reward more carefully. “All this changes the way we see things,” Martinez said.

Even so, Martinez considers Marquez the current benchmark. He pointed to the rider’s braking and corner entry, saying it can look as though Marquez will be unable to stop the bike, yet he does. Martinez also highlighted how Marquez searches for the limit from the opening minutes of practice, while other riders build up more cautiously.

The debate remains prominent as Marquez has drawn level with Rossi’s title tally, and comparisons between the pair continue despite their famously strained relationship. Martinez’s assessment follows Casey Stoner’s recent choice of Marquez in the discussion over the two riders’ legacies.

Rossi has retired from the premier class, but the rivalry’s connections to the current paddock may persist. His protégé Celestino Vietti is set to join Marquez’s side at CFMoto’s Moto2 team in 2027. Meanwhile, newly crowned Moto3 champion Maximo Quiles will move up to Moto2, where he will face expectations to build on his title success and potentially pursue consecutive championships in the lightweight and intermediate classes.