When I wrote this title, the words of one of my first masters came to mind. I was a boy and I wrote for the work, a glorious Genoese newspaper who still existed at the time. “Benzi, never make a title with a question”. But today the web guru would tell me that it is fine. Which is social. In short, times change. For everyone. And the world championship answers the questions that we asked ourselves a few years ago when we wondered if the numbers of Valentino Rossi would have become unassailable law.

Today the statistics tell us that Marc Marquez is the greatest motorcycle champion of all time. Then those who were lucky enough to live the best Rossi, or even the greatest Giacomo Agostini will be able to disagree. So, is Marquez the greatest of all?

Calvary

The monstrous authority with which the Spaniard won his ninth world title, the seventh in the queen category, makes us say. But it is above all the fact that Marquez returned to win six years after his last triumph after a terrible ordeal made of accidents, suffering, surgical interventions and doubts. It must be said that they impress his words after the victory of the title: “I had too much hurry, too much hurry to return, to win, to run beyond my physical condition. I made a very serious overvaluation error that I would never make anymore. I won, I am happy, but more importantly I am peaceful and at peace with myself”.

Words of a mature man: also forced by his own suffering to make peace with the enthusiasm and impetuosity that were characteristics that – frankly – made him particularly unpleasant.

At Mothegi’s mobility resort, a second place is enough – a race won with full merit by Pecco Bagnaia – to archive the title well in advance. Marquez has changed a lot from that bruising, almost snorting talent from 2019: he is a champion able to manage, capable of running with his head when needed and pushing when enough. Yet he won why before.

Motegi, Management from Fuoriclasse

Requirement departure, a few shivers, then overtaking on Pedro Acosta halfway through the race and an administrative ending, without forcing Bagnaia, which in the meantime seals his perfect weekend. The title, however, is Márquez deal: a liberation that can be read in the gestures and tears on the podium. It is the snapshot of a dominated 2025: sprints and long races won in burst, leadership never really under discussion, a margin in the standings that removed oxygen from the opponents even before the summer.

The numbers that tell the domain

Less free show, more ferocious continuity. Double -digit victories on Sunday, a necklace of successes in the sprints, poles and fast rpm: Márquez’s season was a lesson in constancy and discipline. But above all a monologue of results that recalled the Binomio Verstappen -red Bull a couple of years ago.

With this laurel, the Catalan equals Valentino Rossi for Top Class titles and puts the records that really count, strong of the most feared binomial of the paddock in the sights: the best driver on the reference motorcycle. He still has a road in front and can climb over the Italian champion, especially in the light of the dominion of this season.

The Ducati paradox: double joy, opposite readings

If Marquez dominates, Ducati’s hegemony is even humiliating. If Marquez Double Bagnaia and with five races still to be archived and almost 200 points ahead of his brother Alex, second in the standings, Ducati currently has more than double the points of the Aprilia – second among the manufacturers – or if you prefer the points of Ktm, Yamaha and Honda put together. It is not just a question of number of motorcycles registered. The Ducati on the 17 Gran Press Courses so far has won 15 by granting one in Aprilia (Great Britain) and one in Honda (France).

All this despite a Bagnaia that only now seems to have found that competitiveness that was expected months ago: evidently he was right to insist on technical solutions that the team adapted to pursue with too much time and too many reflections.

Bagnaia’s bad 2025

The success at Motegi, pole, sprints and Grand Prix, is not enough to overturn the judgment on a year lower than expectations for Bagnaia. At the beginning of the season, on paper, the official Bagnaia -educated couple had to dictate law; In fact, Pecco has experienced a long confidence discouragement with the new GP25 between alternating speed windows with opaque weekends, with some wasted, missed continuity and different errors.

The impression is that the Turinese has found the technical basis on which to build (Misano tests as a turn point), but has come too late to really affect the title race. The direct comparison with an unlawable márquez made the holes more evident: management of difficult moments, effectiveness in the hot endings, ability to transform perfect Saturdays into heavy Sundays.

Motegi’s victory is gold for self -esteem and precious material for the winter, but not a amnesty on 2025. It is to be wondered if the best motorcycle would have allowed this Bagnaia to keep up with Marquez: perhaps it is perhaps not to be answered.

Hierarchies and prospects

The photograph of the championship says that Márquez redesigned the hierarchies: the #93 reported the technical and emotional center of MotoGP on itself, leaving the group the role of pursuer. Álex Márquez was the most constant opponent, Bagnaia the most authoritative to full day, acostal the certainty of the future that could disappear some balance.

For Pecco, the only way is to capitalize immediately: close the season finale strong and transform the work – even of political and specific weight inside the pits – into a motorcycle of his own from Qatar 2026. For Márquez, the game is instead all with himself: lifting the bar again, choosing where to risk, armor a technical cycle that seems unassailable today.

Beyond the celebration

This title is much more than a trophy on the bulletin board: it is the proof of resilience of an athlete who has renegotiated his way of winning. And it is also a warning for those who chase: in a World Cup of details, it is not enough to be fast, you must always be, even when the day does not turn. Márquez was; Bagnaia, at times. And Motegi tells both truths. But the most evident one, under everyone’s eyes, belongs only to Marc Marquez. And to a near future that could make it, with all due respect to everyone, the best motorcycling champion of all time.