Marc Marquez on MotoGP title value changes: ‘It’s not in my hands…’

Marc Marquez says the reported shift to separate lower class and MotoGP world title wins is “not in my hands”, but insists the most important thing for him is “to increase those numbers”.

The 32-year-old comes into this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix with his first chance to wrap up the 2025 MotoGP title.

To do so, Marc Marquez needs to outscore Alex Marquez by just three points come the end of Sunday’s grand prix to lift himself out of reach.

It would make the factory Ducati rider a seven-time MotoGP world champion and nine-time grand prix champion when including his 2010 125cc and 2012 Moto2 crowns.

MotoGP has traditionally given great value to lower class titles, with the likes of Marquez, Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini often referred to by their total number of championship wins.

But reports surfaced following the San Marino Grand Prix that Dorna Sports - now under ownership from Liberty Media, whose representatives were present at Misano - has advised broadcasters in Japan to only refer to Marquez as a seven-time world champion if he wins the title this weekend.

Read more: Reported erasure of MotoGP history is a worrying sign of ignorance 

In the build up to the Motegi round, MotoGP’s social posts have so far elected to only mention Marquez’s seven premier class titles.

When asked about this on Thursday in Japan, Marquez said: “It’s not in my hands.

“I mean, of course, for me the most important thing… I always say, when I will retire one day, it doesn’t matter - of course, the numbers matter a lot.

“But the most important thing is that the people remember me for giving everything on track.

“For example, the value of this championship inside of me is more than other ones.

“But in the end, in numbers it’s the same. But with the atmosphere and everything, all of what happened, the career of a rider is different.

“So, in the end, numbers are numbers. It’s not in my hands. But the most important thing is to increase those numbers - it doesn’t matter how.”

“Not a disaster” if 2025 title rolls beyond Japan

Having won 11 grands prix and 14 sprints so far this season, there is little doubt in the paddock that Marquez won’t win the title this weekend.

However, he stressed that it is “not a disaster” if it has to wait.

“It’s impossible to not think about it, especially when you are in interviews or in the paddock,” he said.

“Everybody is asking you the same question, how you are feeling.

“You feel it, but in the end the emotions are quite constant, which is the most important thing.

“If it was the last race, it would be much different. But it’s true that I’m very close to closing a circle that started five years ago with a very big injury.

“So, let’s see if we can finish in the best way possible. And I repeat: if it’s not this weekend, it will not be a disaster. We have another five chances in front.”