Where does Marc Márquez stand in relation to Valentino Rossi's records?

Marc Márquez continues to make history MotoGP with his incredible start to the 2025 season. With 8 wins in 12 races, the championship leader is once again improving his statistics after a difficult season. To date, he has 121 podiums and 70 wins in the premier class, out of 201 starts.

On the scale of the world championships, which therefore include his exploits in Moto2 and 125cc (currently Moto3), the Catalan has a total of 96 victories and 160 podiums. However, faced with the absolute reference that embodies Valentino Rossi, where is Marquez really located?

Over the course of his long career, Valentino Rossi has achieved no fewer than 199 podium finishes and 89 MotoGP victories. He has also built his legend over time, appearing on the podium in 24 consecutive seasons, extending his career to the age of 42. These figures make the Italian the rider with the most victories in history, but these records are no longer safe.

Can Marquez match Rossi?

The question then arises: can Marc Marquez dethrone the Italian legend? To do so, the Ducati rider will still need to reach the podium 78 times. An ambitious goal, but not impossible to achieve.

Let's suggest that the Ducati rider demonstrates similar longevity. If we estimate that each season includes around twenty Grands Prix, he would have to reach every podium for four consecutive seasons to equal the 'Doctor'. However, Marc Marquez's single-season podium record, set in 2019, is 17. If he were to repeat this performance year after year, it would take him five seasons to reach 5 podiums. This is an optimistic assumption, as it assumes he continues his absolute dominance while avoiding injuries.

Alternatively, Marc Marquez could maintain the average number of podiums per season he has recorded since his MotoGP debut at the start of the 2013 season. This is a score of 9 podiums per season (not including the current season). At this rate, he would have to race until 2035 (at 42, the age Rossi was when he retired from MotoGP) to hope to surpass 199 podiums.

© Michelin Motorsports

70 wins against 89

The number 46's podium record will therefore be very difficult to achieve. But what about his number of victories? Specifically, Márquez now has 19 fewer victories than Rossi in the premier class. To reduce this gap and claim a new statistical peak, he would therefore have to add up triumphs at a sustained pace.

Recent seasons have demonstrated the difficulty of the challenge. Injuries have slowed Márquez's progress and made his winning streaks rarer. But in his best years, such as 2014 and 2019, the Spaniard has already achieved the feat of capturing 13 and 12 victories. A personal record he is on track to equal in 2025, with 8 wins in 12 races, with 10 rounds remaining. Based on this observation, and assuming that Ducati remains the benchmark, and that the Iberian avoids injury, Valentino Rossi's benchmark looks more fragile.

ALSO READ > Ducati praises Marc Márquez: “A champion with an inexhaustible thirst for victory”