Does Marc Marquez really care about besting Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP title tally?

Should Marc Marquez go on to win the 2025 MotoGP World Championship, he will draw level with Valentino Rossi’s premier class tally of seven and overall record of nine.

Valentino Rossi won nine world championships in total between 1997 and 2009, with seven of those coming in the top class of MotoGP.

Only Giacomo Agostini has more premier class titles than Rossi does at eight, achieved between 1966 and 1975, while Marc Marquez is just two away on six after scoring those between 2013 and 2019.

Marquez currently leads the standings by 32 points after a dominant weekend at the Aragon Grand Prix two weeks ago.

He remains favourite to win the title among his competitors, which would match him with arch rival Rossi’s career total - mimicking the Italian too by doing so with two different brands.

Asked if he is thinking about matching, and even surpassing, Rossi’s record, Marquez said ahead of the Italian Grand Prix that his comeback from serious injury will remain the biggest achievement of his career.

“Of course, as I say, I’m in great shape,” he began.

“I believe we increased a bit the level between me and Alex [Marquez], because both of us are pushing and Alex is also in his best year of the championship.

“Pecco [Bagnaia] is coming closer and closer, and as I said two races ago, Pecco is closer than what the numbers say.

“But apart from that, for me nine championships arriving, not arriving… the biggest challenge of my career I already achieved, which was coming back from a very deep moment.

“I already achieved this. Three years ago here [at Mugello] in this press conference I was announcing that I was going to America to have my arm broken again to have it put straight.

“So, I already achieved my biggest challenge. Everybody has their career, everybody has their injuries, their riding style, their character.

“But I’m happy with that challenge and now I am just enjoying.

“Of course, as a Ducati rider I feel the pressure and I will try to win the championship. But this sometimes is not a matter of. Just we want and we try.”

Marquez comes to Mugello this weekend chasing a first win at the Italian venue since 2014.

A stronghold of team-mate Pecco Bagnaia’s for the past three years, Marquez says he will try to utilise his data this year to understand where the Italian is so good on the track.

“I will try to understand this year,” he said.

“Last year I had the opportunity to compare a bit his data, but the bike was a bit different and then was more difficult [to replicate].

“This year we will try to understand even more deeply and I will try to take profit from his data - not only from him, but also from Alex because both of them normally are very fast here.”