Casey Stoner admits Marc Marquez has shocked him with red-hot Ducati dominance

Double MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner says Marc Marquez’s dominant 2025 season has been unexpected and “his most impressive”.

After 12 rounds of the 2025 campaign, the factory Ducati rider has won eight grands prix and 11 sprints to lead the championship by a commanding 120 points ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix.

It’s a return to form that comes five years on from a serious arm injury that plagued Marc Marquez for several seasons after, as well as uncompetitive Honda machinery.

Stoner - who retired from MotoGP in 2012, making way at Honda for Marc Marquez - said the uncertainty over the Spaniard’s fitness led to questions about his capability pre-season.

“No, I didn’t think Marc would be so fast, especially in the beginning of the year,” he told Sky Italy.

“We saw him gaining confidence again last year after changing to Ducati with Gresini.

“And I wasn’t sure still how his arm was and how he was recovering from this.

“So, it was going to be interesting at the start of the season.

“For sure, I didn’t expect results like this, what he’s been able to do.

“But clearly last year he was gaining confidence, the arm must be close to 100% again and now he’s able to do things that the others cannot.

“So, he’s been really impressive this year. We’ve always seen impressive things from Marquez, but I think this is probably his most impressive season.”

Prior to the summer break, Marquez named 2007 and 2011 champion Stoner as a name on his hypothetical dream grid to race against.

Stoner was Ducati’s first world champion and spent four years with the Italian marque, before joining Honda in 2011.

The Australian returned to Ducati in the mid 2010s as a test rider for a brief spell.

Stoner is present this weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix to take part in a legends’ parade at the Red Bull Ring aboard a Honda RC213V-S.