How can Marc Márquez equal Valentino Rossi's podium record?

At 32 years old, Marc Márquez took his 115th podium in the premier class at the French GP in MotoGP. An impressive figure that places him second in the ranking of drivers with the most in history. The Spaniard is thus placed just behind Valentino Rossi and its 199 podiums.

The question now remains: can Marc Marquez dethrone the Italian legend? To do so, the Ducati rider will have to add 85 more podium places. An ambitious goal, but not impossible to achieve.

This scenario is unlikely to happen, but if we consider that each season has 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. At this rate, he could beat Rossi in 200, then aged 2030.

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. 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 retired from MotoGP) to hope to surpass 199 podiums. He would therefore have to maintain this level for another decade, and demonstrate the same longevity as his predecessor.

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Beating Valentino Rossi: A (too) ambitious challenge for Marc Márquez?

Even with favorable statistics, the road to the record is fraught with obstacles. Competition from a new generation, injuries, a hallmark of his recent career, and the competitiveness of his machine are all factors beyond his control.

The arrival of 850cc engines in 2027 will already reshuffle the cards on the technical level, forcing Marc Márquez to adapt. Finally, motivation will have to remain intact: racing at the highest level until the age of 40 requires an extraordinary physical and mental commitment.

Mathematically, Marc Márquez has time to beat Rossi's record. But the gap between numbers and reality is immense. If he manages to avoid injuries, compete with the new generation, and maintain the consistency worthy of Rossi—who has finished on the podium for 24 consecutive seasons—the feat will be possible. Only time will be against him. The Spaniard, accustomed to pushing the limits, will once again have to write the impossible.

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