Who is Marc Marquez? All about the sporting legend that Carlos Sainz termed "Senna of MotoGP"

F1's Carlos Sainz recently labeled Marc Marquez the "Ayrton Senna of MotoGP," drawing a comparison between two of the greatest drivers of their respective sports in history. Marquez recently clinched his long-awaited seventh MotoGP title, and for the first time in his career, it wasn't with Honda.

Born in 1993 in Spain, Marquez was involved in racing from a young age. His talent was reflected shortly after he made his debut in the 125cc series in the 2008 season. He drove the KTM during his initial two seasons; however, that did not yield a very competitive result. But he clinched his first title with Ajo Motorsport in 2010, which quickly moved him to the Moto2 series.

There, he managed to dominate the competition. Marc Marquez finished his first season in Moto2 in second place, shortly before clinching the title in 2012. Honda signed him for the next season in MotoGP, and this was the start of his domination.

Marc Marquez's Domination with Honda

Marquez proved to be an extremely competitive driver in the junior series, which paved his way to MotoGP in 2013. With 12 pole positions and 10 race wins, he became the only driver since Kenny Roberts in 1978 to win the MotoGP title in his rookie season. Being just 20 at the time, he became the youngest MotoGP champion in the sport's history, and still holds the record.

2013 was followed by five more title victories until 2019, four of which were consecutive. However, the 2020 season started out rough for the Spaniard.

Aggressive Riding Style and Injury

Marc Marquez is known for his innovative riding techniques in MotoGP. His aggressive style with late braking is also characterized by extreme leaning, often giving the illusion of being on the grip's edge. The balance he provides the bike with his elbows has been remarkable; however, it proved to be extremely dangerous back in 2020.

During the opening round of the season in Jerez, Spain, Marquez suffered from a high-impact crash. He was competing for the victory in front of his home crowd. Running in second place with just four laps remaining, he suffered a highside crash, which ended up breaking his right humerus (upper arm).

Marquez during the qualifying session at Jerez, 2020 (Getty Images)

He underwent surgery and, incredibly, attempted a return to racing in the next round, but had to withdraw. Marquez then underwent a second surgery when the titanium plate in his arm broke, and a subsequent third surgery owing to infections.

This delayed his recovery, and he had to sit out the remaining season, ending his dominant run.

Marc Marquez only won three races in the next three seasons, owing to Honda's poor form, before moving to Gresini Racing MotoGP in 2024. He proved his competence with the team, clinching three race wins.

Comeback with Ducati

Marc Marquez wins the 2025 MotoGP World Championship in Japan

Marquez earned a seat with the factory Ducati team for the 2025 season, the dominating force on the grid. He was paired with Francesco Bagnaia, and once again began his spell of dominance this season. He managed to clinch 11 victories in the first 18 races, winning his seventh MotoGP and ninth Grand Prix World Championship.

Marc Marquez is the most successful Spanish driver in the sport, with 73 race wins and seven championships under his belt. His return with Ducati was remarkable, and whe on the title with five races remaining in the season.

There is no doubt that his unique driving style, continuous innovation in the sport, and the force of domination make him one of the greatest MotoGP drivers of all time, and hence, Carlos Sainz's labeling him the Ayrton Senna of his sport is seemingly right on the mark.