MotoGP 2013: Marc Marquez, Valentino Rossi and the cusp of greatness

You’re next – Rossi to Marquez

Considering his Championship winning exploits in Moto 2 and 125cc divisions in past three years, his ability to get a grip of the Premier class racing was never truly in doubt. Early season practice runs, where he was at par with Valentino, and less than half a second behind the likes of Lorenzo and Pedrosa, always pointed towards him having a good season under his belt.

Add initial driving transitions to the list along with the necessity of setting the pace on the track, and it never really works out that well. Be it Stoner, Lorenzo, Hayden, Pedrosa, they all have one thing in common – an ordinary first full season at the top.

Hence, it makes the argument way more convincing when we talk about Marquez aspiring to be one of the select few rookie World Champions with eight races to go.

Also, when one looks further into his preparations, one sees every sign of a veteran mapping out his race strategy. Marquez sketched a mountain biking routine during the off season to get the right physique before he’d even touched his new ride.

Prior to the first few testing sessions, Marquez was said to be prepared with all the tracks maps and conditions he may have to face throughout the season.

He didn’t leave anything to chance, and one cannot argue with the benefits he’s ended up reaping from his rigorous training regime. Also, his inclination towards Moto X during his spare time, like his fellow front-grid competitors, shows there is more to racing in his DNA than people might have thought.

Yes, this does look like an ideal route for any rookie rider to set his foot on the Moto GP platform, yet it’s been a while before we saw such an assured newbie right from the word go. In fact, one has to actually go back as far as 2002, when Rossi set the Premier class on fire in his first season, to find a rider with lots of groundwork behind his first run with the elites.

Marquez has definitely set new standards this season with a level of consistency that other riders have forsaken in search of extra pace off the track. With the exception of Mugello, he has hardly faced a major crash. Also, comparing the current lap timings with those of the rest of the grid suggest that he might end the Championship contest sooner than anyone could expect.

Marquez has shown he’s gifted, prepared, aggressive and consistent. And what eventually follows it all is winning. But the question remains – is he good enough to sustain it on a longer run? Has he got what it takes to be even one of the greatest, if not greatest of all time?

Rossi tipped him for greatness from the time he set his eyes on the Spaniard, yet there is a long way to go. Marquez, who because of his age cannot even drink his own winning champagne, still has a long way to go before he can rest on his laurels. Even Rossi, now at the age of 34, is still pushing himself hard to breach Giacomo Agostini’s magic number of 122 wins. Marquez, on the other hand, has just four wins under his belt.

When asked whether the crown was passed to its rightful heir at the Corkscrew showdown, Rossi subtly pointed to his recent lows and a struggling bike setup. He replied, ‘it was never his to give away.’ Yet, had the question been about naming his successor, he couldn’t possibly have found anyone as good as Marquez from the current roster.

Iconic passes have traditionally made way for telling conclusions, and this particular one may well herald the inevitable change of guard everyone has been waiting for.