MARC MARQUEZ SAYS MISANO WIN CAME WITH A “PRESENT” FROM TITLE RIVALS

Marc Marquez described his MotoGP title rivals as having effectively handed him a “present” in recent rounds, saying that when he “tasted” it, the moment felt “sweet”. The factory Ducati rider then converted that opportunity into a dominant win at Misano on Sunday, taking the championship lead for the first time this season.

Marquez’s turnaround has been rapid. Seven rounds earlier, he returned from surgery at Mugello, a weekend that left him eighth in the standings and 102 points behind the top. Looking back, he said he was focused on getting himself ready to fight for wins rather than on championship calculations. “I was ready to ride [in Mugello], not at my 100%, but also it was the way to prepare - if you want to have some chance to win races,” he explained.

After Misano, Marquez was clear about how the title picture shifted. “I was not thinking of the championship because it was not in my hands.” He added: “It’s true that the opponents gave me a present, and when I taste that present, it was sweet.” From there, his message turned to execution: “So I am trying to take the maximum profit from my riding style, from my bike, and from my team.”

The Misano result built on momentum from the previous Italian event. Marquez had left Mugello without a Sunday podium this season, but struck back with a perfect double win next time at Balaton Park—described as the first of four maximum-scoring weekends so far.

As he indicated, the championship swing was not only about his own pace. Marco Bezzecchi’s title hopes were hit early at Misano when the polesitter crashed out on the opening lap, a costly setback in the fight at the front. Marquez’s victory at Misano was his fifth grand prix win of the season and reinforced his position at the top of the standings following rivals’ misfortunes.

The broader context underlined how unusual the season’s rhythm has been for the leading contenders. Jorge Martin, who had been title leader since Assen, is now tied on points with Marquez, but has claimed just one (Sprint) victory in the last 18 races. Meanwhile, Bezzecchi—Martin’s team-mate and a former championship leader—has failed to score in ten races this season, including the opening-lap crash at Misano.

Marquez also acknowledged that his own campaign has required overcoming setbacks and uncertainty. The report notes he has had to deal with a penalty and technical problem in the Buriram races, mistakes at COTA, Jerez and Le Mans, and surgery to fix a radical nerve issue. He reflected on the difference between last year’s confidence and the current season’s doubts: “Last year I felt convinced and strong. So it was a very good combination! This year, obviously when you are having some doubts, it’s more difficult.” He added: “When I say convinced, always I believe in myself but sometimes it’s difficult to take some decisions.”

That change in mindset has also shown up in how he approaches a race weekend. He said he has been managing his shoulder strength carefully across the programme. “Like in FP1, don’t push a lot. In warm-up, don’t do a lot of laps. Because the others are riding and you want to ride because you say, I’m losing some time here,” he said. “But in the end, I need to approach the race weekends in a different way.” He explained the trade-off: “Sometimes approaching in that way, I will be the fastest. Sometimes the others will be faster than me. But always try to find my maximum.”

Finally, Marquez touched on the atmosphere at Misano and the relationship with the home crowd. He said: “This weekend I feel well with the Tifosi.” He added that what matters in motorcycle racing is that fans support Italian riders, but that respect between competitors remains essential: “In the end, what we need in the motorcycle world is that they support the Italian riders, and everybody is supporting his rider or his hero, but then we respect each other.”