NEIL HODGSON PRAISES MARC MARQUEZ FOR A COMEBACK VALENTINO ROSSI NEVER MANAGED

Neil Hodgson has used this weekend’s British Grand Prix build-up to spotlight Marc Marquez’s remarkable recovery from the injury turmoil that defined the early 2020s, arguing that the Spaniard has achieved something Valentino Rossi never managed to do after his own career-altering setback.

Writing in his TNT Sports preview column for Silverstone, Hodgson named Marquez as his favourite for the race and linked a home win to a major boost in the rider’s wider title hopes. He also framed the bigger picture of Marquez’s comeback by comparing it to Rossi’s post-injury trajectory, insisting that Rossi “was never the same” after breaking his leg in 2010 and, crucially, “never won another championship.”

Hodgson acknowledged Rossi’s greatness, adding: “Now, I am a huge Valentino Rossi fan, but he picked up one serious injury in his career when he broke his leg, and from that moment on, he was never the same and he never won another championship.” He then drew a sharp contrast with Marquez, whose MotoGP career was repeatedly disrupted by surgery and rehabilitation following a nasty highside at the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix. Between 2020 and 2023, Hodgson noted, Marquez was “in and out of the operating room” as he worked his way back to full fitness.

Despite those setbacks, Hodgson said Marquez returned to the top level and continued to contend at the front, pointing to the 2025 season as evidence of just how far the comeback has come. He described Marquez’s rise from that “injury hell” as one of the sport’s greatest comebacks, and argued that Marquez’s willingness to stay with MotoGP through “years of surgery and anguish” is what makes the achievement so unusual. “There’s no disrespect meant to Valentino given all he achieved, but the fact is that Marquez stuck with MotoGP despite years of surgery and anguish, and now is potentially on course for back-to-back titles. It’s unheard of. The man is a machine.”

Hodgson also connected the discussion to the all-time championship tally. He suggested that a 10th world title across all formats would lift Marquez above Rossi in total world championships won, adding that “He and Valentino have nine world titles. A 10th, well, that would put fresh air between them.”

Beyond the numbers, Hodgson touched on the enduring rivalry between the two legends. Even though Rossi retired five years ago, he said the pair remain on “cold terms,” with mutual respect in the media but no real warmth. “There is no love lost, even years after Rossi stepped back,” Hodgson wrote. He added that the rivalry still matters regardless of personal friendship: “It makes no difference to me if they’re friends or not. They are still rivals even after the competition between them is over.”

Finally, Hodgson described how Marquez’s struggles have shaped his approach, saying they have given him “new ways to prove his resilience, develop new skills, and never find the task at hand anything other than a thrill.” He suggested that the motivation behind Marquez’s drive may have “come full circle,” with the prospect of further titles turning the hard lessons of the past into fuel for the present.