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Repsol Honda driver and reigning double World Champion, Marquez has had a middling season this year. Although he has one win, at the Grand Prix of the Americas, and another podium at the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, where he came in second, he has had two failed races this year.
Marquez, who did not make it to Q2, started a lowly 13th that race. He made a significant comeback within the race, going to 4th and then to 2nd behind Jorge Lorenzo, he lost the front of his bike whilst making a turn, crashing out of the race entirely.
At Argentina, Marquez started the race on pole. He looked poised to win or, at the very least, have a podium finish, battling with the Doctor. Rossi and Marquez were extremely close until the penultimate lap of the race, when Marquez, inching closer to the Italian, made contact with the rear of his bike. The skirmish sent the Spaniard down the track, forcing him to retire.
22-year-old Marquez has had success at Catalunya across racing classes. He has been on the podium every MotoGP race in Catalunya, winning last year’s Grand Prix. He also has wins in 125cc and podiums in Moto2 – in fact, he has not been off the podium at Catalunya since 2010.
His home track, he will doubtless be more at ease with it; he performed very well at the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez earlier this year.
However, following an injury while on a personal ride prior to the race in Jerez, Marquez has complained of constant pain. He sustained a fracture to his finger after he fell and a friend accidentally rode over it.
Dani Pedrosa, for whom this is also a home race, is still riding but recovering from an arm pump surgery.
Although Marquez’s performances this year has not been dismal in general, he sits much lower on the points table, currently being led by his idol Valentino Rossi, with 118 points. Rossi’s Movistar Yamaha GP teammate Jorge Lorenzo, who has won the last 3 races on the track, is right behind him with 112 and looks poised to lead following the Grand Prix at Catalunya.
Marquez, meanwhile, is in 5th spot with 69 points, a good 12 behind Ducati’s Andrea Iannone, and nearly 50 behind leader Rossi.
After two World Championship wins in 2013, his debut year in MotoGP, and 2014, Marquez is fairly behind on the drivers’ leaderboard, but with his history at the track, he could make up for his losses. However, Ducati rider Iannone is also on a roll, having won a career first pole at Mugello, finishing the race in second, and Lorenzo is in the form of his life. It does not currently seem likely that he will win the World Championship this year, but he could do well at Catalunya.
