Why Marc Marquez Could Play a Pivotal Role in Who Wins 2024 MotoGP Title

Marc Marquez once again showed in Buriram that he will more likely than not have a say in the end result of the 2024 MotoGP title race.

Only two rounds remain and Jorge Martin leads Francesco Bagnaia, winner of Sunday’s Thai GP, by 17 points. But it was Marquez that was Bagnaia’s biggest threat in the race before crashing out.

Why is that important you might ask? Well, in Australia Marquez took points away from Martin by winning the Grand Prix, while he also beat Bagnaia in both races which helped Martin.

In Buriram, Marquez looked set for P2 at worst before his crash, which would have given Bagnaia a bigger points swing over Martin. With Bagnaia trailing in the standings and unable to beat Martin on a consistent basis, he may need Marquez to finish ahead of Martin in the final two rounds in order to become a three-time champion.

Enea Bastianini has been the only other rider able to fight with Bagnaia and Martin on a few occasions, evidenced by his sprint win on Saturday in Thailand, however, Marquez is the rider able to get amongst the top two with more consistency.

That’s why the eight-time world champion, who will line-up alongside Bagnaia in 2025, could play the biggest role of any rider not named Martin or Bagnaia in shaping how the 2024 title race is decided.

Ducati will obviously want him to aid Bagnaia if it can be at all possible, but Marquez will not be looking to do the Italian any favours, nor will he particularly want to help Martin. Marquez has had his fair share of run ins with both riders so beating them on-track is likely his only aim.

Marquez should have won Sunday’s race and his two failed overtakes on Bagnaia were clear signs that he was not holding back.

“We were the fastest today,” said Marquez after the Grand Prix. “But now, two-or-three hours after the race, maybe we weren’t patient enough in that moment of the race.

“It’s true that it was super-tricky because I wasn’t able to overtake in a clear way [Francesco] Bagnaia. I was always planning a very clear overtake, because I had the speed and I said ‘We will have more chances’.

“Always, I was trying to push, attack; then, when it was not possible, to cool down the front tyre, [then] attack again. On that second attack I saw that I was much faster.

“I tried to not give up and I tried to follow him, and just one-and-a-half degrees more in that corner [turn eight] and I lost the front and I couldn’t save - it was very close. We are humans, we make mistakes, and today it was my turn.”

Whether it was Misano when he won in damp conditions, Aragon or Phillip Island, Marquez’s recent form suggests he could win one or even both of the next two races. After all, Thailand should have been win number four this season.

For long stretches in the season it seemed as though Marquez might struggle to consistently battle Martin and Bagnaia due to the superiority of the GP24, but Marquez looks every bit a match for the title chasing duo.

What Marquez also has in his back pocket is a vast amount of experience fighting for world titles, so he will be well aware of the pressure that Martin and Bagnaia are under to not make mistakes, which could in-turn lead to them riding ‘safe’ as opposed to riding freely like Marquez who has nothing to lose.

The upcoming round in Malaysia has not typically been strong for Marquez, but it was not a strong venue for Honda in general.

Now aboard the Ducati, Marquez will likely be just as big a contender as he’s been in recent races and so Martin and Bagnaia won’t just be able to have eyes for one-another.

On the subject of the differences between the GP24 and GP23, Marquez added: “The GP24 in some areas is a strong evolution. But I don’t ride the [GP24] and, for sure, my GP23 bike today was ready to win, I felt good.

“It’s true that, as we know, the more time we are [using] the rear [ride height] device in a circuit, the more different it is [between the GP23 and GP24], because they had a little upgrade there. But this is good, because next year I will have it.”

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