The biggest rider themes of MotoGP’s history generally include many names over decades, but only two from the four-stroke era of Grand Prix Racing include Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez.
Both serial winners, the two competed against each other long enough for one of the sport’s most bitter rivals to develop.
Mark Marquez is small, but it is difficult to decide between them as he hasn’t finished his Grands Prix victory yet. Valentino Rossi had an almost incredibly long career, but Marquez is undoubtedly facing more adversity. And for recognition of the strength of the field each rider won.
In a TNT Sports feature, Cal Crutchlow joined two broadcaster rider-turned analysts Neil Hodgson and James Toseland, with the decision that the main candidates will be Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi.
Clutchlow quickly pointed out Marquez’s braking ability as an outstanding quality as a rider.
“His (Marquez) control of the front brake was my biggest,” said Crutchlow, who raced alongside Marquez as a Honda Motog Prider between 2015 and 2019, despite being a satellite LCR Honda team (Marquez was injured in almost all of 2020).
“When he was braking, there was a lot of lock on the front, but he played a lot of brake levers on the corner.
“Mark (Marquez) realized that the more you tilt your bike towards the corner, the more you slow down your bike, which is totally true.
“But if you’re locking the front wheel, the first thing you do is pick up the bike. That’s a natural instinct. Mark was the opposite, he leaned in more.
“To make sure you understand that…nobody else could do it.”
For James Toseland, who has been a co-conspirator to TNT Sports’ World Superbike coverage, it was Rossi’s ability to capture the fan’s imagination, which stood out from other serial winners in the history of the sport.
“It’s more of a show than a riding style, a victory, a championship victory,” Toseland says.
“It’s going to be a long time for everyone to beat Valentino (Rossi) showman, what he’s brought to the sport off the track, and all of his riding style and bike.”
He added: “Television was more involved in broadcast bike racing. Just like television had the game up, Valentino Rossi in the late 1990s. He was just money.”
Usually, the “largest” argument in sports falls into the conclusion that it is impossible to say who is actually superior, as the two competitors did not compete with each other.
However, Neil Hodgson emphasized that he could not stand Marquez and Rossi as they competed with each other between 2013 and 2021.
“Don’t forget, they competed with each other,” Hodgson said.
“Mark came in as a rookie in 2013 and beat Valentino Rossi with no experience on MotoGP bikes.
“They didn’t spend just a year.
“Rossi almost won the title in 2015, not in 2013 or 2014. I won’t talk about that.
“But they competed against each other and won seven or eight out of 10? Mark Marquez did.
“Was he riding a better bike? 2013 was probably 2014, but 2015 wasn’t a bike.
“That’s why, for me, Mark steals it from Valentino. Is Mark Marquez the best ever? He says that.”
Crutchlow agreed with Hodgson, but Toseland found Marquez more difficult to position himself clearly than the greats of the sport’s past.
“We can’t put our hands on Valentino and former (Agostini) and Nieto and Mike Halewood,” the two-time World Superbike Champion said.
“But he’s on par with what he’s done and what he’s going on with and the best.”