GOOD OLD DAYS...

Is the old Marc Marquez finally back? The race in Jerez surely gave flashes of it...

- SHIVANK BHATT

Marc Marquez’s announcement to quit the Repsol Honda factory team in favour of Ducati’s satellite Gresini squad in 2024 sent everyone into a frenzy. The greatest rider of the last decade – and, arguably, of all time – on the greatest machine of the current era? ‘No one will see which way he would go,’ claimed experts and ex-racers.

However, that hasn’t happened yet. Four rounds down, and Marquez is still chasing his dream Ducati victory. He came close to achieving it at COTA (USA) – a circuit where he has dominated the field for the longest time – but unfortunately crashed from the lead. Has Marquez lost the edge? Can he win again? Will he ever be the force of nature he once was?

It seemed we would never get to witness the Marquez comeback story, but, then, came Jerez, and, boy, did it bring the flashes of the old Marquez back!