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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may still be very early in the MotoGP season to say conclusively, but judging from his showing at the season-opening Thailand Grand Prix, six-time winner of the championship Marc Márquez is back to his competitive best. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Thailand, Márquez won the sprint and the main race to lead the championship for the first time since 2019. In both races, Márquez’s younger brother, Álex, was second, riding for Ducati’s sister team, Gresini Racing. </span>\r\n<h4><b>Magical start</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“This is a dream! It’s a dream start my new journey with Ducati like this in Thailand, where I won my last four championships. To be here with my brother? Incredible,” said the older Márquez. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last season the siblings were both racing for the Gresini stable, but Ducati opted to promote Marc to the main team, sacrificing current MotoGP champion Jorge Martín in the process. Martín and Márquez were supposed to swap places, but the former opted to leave Ducati altogether, and joined Aprilia. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Martín would have been left hurt by these events, following his title-winning charge in 2024, Márquez’s showing in Thailand will have Ducati feeling vindicated for their actions. Of course, there are many more races left – with a number of twists and turns for Márquez to navigate if he wishes to add to his six MotoGP titles.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nevertheless, the confidence he rode with over the weekend is an indication that he is ready mentally for the challenges. If he stays fit, the 32-year-old will be the rider to beat. He has the experience, aura and hunger to show his quality once more after enduring tough times over the past few years.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2621431\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2202601837.jpg\" alt=\"Marc Márquez Ducati\" width=\"1757\" height=\"1171\" /> <em>Marc Márquez in action during the qualifying for the Thailand Grand Prix in Buriram on 1 March 2025. (Photo: Steve Wobser / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n<h4><b>The rise, fall, and rise again </b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2013, as a fresh-faced rookie who had garnered attention with his commanding performances in the lower classes, Spain’s Márquez won his first MotoGP title. He was competing with some of the sport’s heavyweights, including Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the ensuing years he rose to become one of the greatest riders in the history of the sport, claiming five more titles to cement his legacy. Only Italians Giacomo Agostini (eight) and Valentino Rossi (seven) have more premier-class titles. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, seven years later Márquez’s career took a major nosedive. It was through no fault of his own. In sport, injuries are part of the journey. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Márquez’s injury in 2020 was serious. The Cervera-born rider crashed badly during the Spanish Grand Prix, fracturing his right humerus – the bone between the shoulder and elbow. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Requiring a number of surgeries, Márquez – nicknamed the “Ant of Cervera” due to his small stature – dealt with not only physical pain, but the mental turmoil of not being able to do what he loves.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2621429\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2202811114.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1785\" height=\"1090\" /> <em>Alex Márquez leads brother Marc during the Thailand Grand Prix on 2 March 2025. (Photo: Mirco Lazzari / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2621428\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2202810939.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1750\" height=\"1166\" /> <em>Marc Márquez of Spain celebrates victory in Thailand on 2 March 2025. (Photo: Mirco Lazzari / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2621427\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2202794797.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1795\" height=\"1136\" /> <em>Alex Márquez leads during the Thailand Grand Prix at the Chang International Circuit on 2 March 2025. (Photo: Steve Wobser / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides losing some mobility on his arm even after all the surgeries, the six-time MotoGP champion said he struggled mentally in a bid to find himself again. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“After all that happened in my life and especially my body, I need to work double. I need to be more often at the physio, more maintenance,” Márquez said last season, in which he finished third on the overall standings. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Of course, now it’s okay enough to fight on the racetrack, to fight with the top guys. But I need to work more at home. But on the mental side, now I start to feel stronger and stronger,” he added, hinting that even though it’s the best it’s been since the accident, his arm might never be what it was.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2621426\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2202649420-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1628\" /> <em>Marc Márquez leads the field during the Thailand Grand Prix on 1 March 2025. (Photo: Mirco Lazzari / Getty Images)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Márquez finished third in the championship standings last season (behind Martín and new Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia). This year he appears primed for another memorable MotoGP campaign. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For his displays last season, including winning his first race since 2021, Márquez has earned a nomination for a Laureus Award, in the comeback of the year category. He is alongside Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, US swimmer Caeleb Dressel and Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant, among others. </span><b>DM</b>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It may still be very early in the MotoGP season to say conclusively, but judging from his showing at the season-opening Thailand Grand Prix, six-time winner of the championship Marc Márquez is back to his competitive best. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Thailand, Márquez won the sprint and the main race to lead the championship for the first time since 2019. In both races, Márquez’s younger brother, Álex, was second, riding for Ducati’s sister team, Gresini Racing. </span>\r\n<h4><b>Magical start</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“This is a dream! It’s a dream start my new journey with Ducati like this in Thailand, where I won my last four championships. To be here with my brother? Incredible,” said the older Márquez. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last season the siblings were both racing for the Gresini stable, but Ducati opted to promote Marc to the main team, sacrificing current MotoGP champion Jorge Martín in the process. Martín and Márquez were supposed to swap places, but the former opted to leave Ducati altogether, and joined Aprilia. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although Martín would have been left hurt by these events, following his title-winning charge in 2024, Márquez’s showing in Thailand will have Ducati feeling vindicated for their actions. Of course, there are many more races left – with a number of twists and turns for Márquez to navigate if he wishes to add to his six MotoGP titles.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nevertheless, the confidence he rode with over the weekend is an indication that he is ready mentally for the challenges. If he stays fit, the 32-year-old will be the rider to beat. He has the experience, aura and hunger to show his quality once more after enduring tough times over the past few years.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2621431\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1757\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2621431\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2202601837.jpg\" alt=\"Marc Márquez Ducati\" width=\"1757\" height=\"1171\" /> <em>Marc Márquez in action during the qualifying for the Thailand Grand Prix in Buriram on 1 March 2025. (Photo: Steve Wobser / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n<h4><b>The rise, fall, and rise again </b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2013, as a fresh-faced rookie who had garnered attention with his commanding performances in the lower classes, Spain’s Márquez won his first MotoGP title. He was competing with some of the sport’s heavyweights, including Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the ensuing years he rose to become one of the greatest riders in the history of the sport, claiming five more titles to cement his legacy. Only Italians Giacomo Agostini (eight) and Valentino Rossi (seven) have more premier-class titles. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, seven years later Márquez’s career took a major nosedive. It was through no fault of his own. In sport, injuries are part of the journey. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Márquez’s injury in 2020 was serious. The Cervera-born rider crashed badly during the Spanish Grand Prix, fracturing his right humerus – the bone between the shoulder and elbow. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Requiring a number of surgeries, Márquez – nicknamed the “Ant of Cervera” due to his small stature – dealt with not only physical pain, but the mental turmoil of not being able to do what he loves.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2621429\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1785\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2621429\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2202811114.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1785\" height=\"1090\" /> <em>Alex Márquez leads brother Marc during the Thailand Grand Prix on 2 March 2025. (Photo: Mirco Lazzari / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2621428\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1750\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2621428\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2202810939.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1750\" height=\"1166\" /> <em>Marc Márquez of Spain celebrates victory in Thailand on 2 March 2025. (Photo: Mirco Lazzari / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2621427\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1795\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2621427\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2202794797.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1795\" height=\"1136\" /> <em>Alex Márquez leads during the Thailand Grand Prix at the Chang International Circuit on 2 March 2025. (Photo: Steve Wobser / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Besides losing some mobility on his arm even after all the surgeries, the six-time MotoGP champion said he struggled mentally in a bid to find himself again. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“After all that happened in my life and especially my body, I need to work double. I need to be more often at the physio, more maintenance,” Márquez said last season, in which he finished third on the overall standings. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Of course, now it’s okay enough to fight on the racetrack, to fight with the top guys. But I need to work more at home. But on the mental side, now I start to feel stronger and stronger,” he added, hinting that even though it’s the best it’s been since the accident, his arm might never be what it was.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2621426\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"2560\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2621426\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/2202649420-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1628\" /> <em>Marc Márquez leads the field during the Thailand Grand Prix on 1 March 2025. (Photo: Mirco Lazzari / Getty Images)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Márquez finished third in the championship standings last season (behind Martín and new Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia). This year he appears primed for another memorable MotoGP campaign. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For his displays last season, including winning his first race since 2021, Márquez has earned a nomination for a Laureus Award, in the comeback of the year category. He is alongside Brazilian gymnast Rebeca Andrade, US swimmer Caeleb Dressel and Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant, among others. </span><b>DM</b>",
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Marc Márquez in action during the qualifying for the Thailand Grand Prix in Buriram on 1 March 2025. (Photo: Steve Wobser / Getty Images)
Alex Márquez leads brother Marc during the Thailand Grand Prix on 2 March 2025. (Photo: Mirco Lazzari / Getty Images)
Marc Márquez of Spain celebrates victory in Thailand on 2 March 2025. (Photo: Mirco Lazzari / Getty Images)
Alex Márquez leads during the Thailand Grand Prix at the Chang International Circuit on 2 March 2025. (Photo: Steve Wobser / Getty Images)
Marc Márquez leads the field during the Thailand Grand Prix on 1 March 2025. (Photo: Mirco Lazzari / Getty Images)