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As MotoGP enters into their summer break, reigning world champion Marc Márquez maintains a perfect record for 2014 with nine consecutive race victories.
The advantage in the championship standings that the 21-year-old superstar currently has is so large that he could even extend his break and miss the next three races at Indianapolis, Brno and Silverstone, and still be in front.
As we look back at the first half of the 2014 season, one point that is already in our thoughts is Márquez’s name being engraved for a second time on the Champions Tower trophy.
Márquez entered the New Year with a cloud of uncertainty around his fitness going into the first handful of races. During the pre-season, the Spaniard had broken his leg in a dirt bike accident.
However those questions were put to rest at the first grand prix in Qatar where he cruised home from pole position to win the race and open his account for 2014. From that then, subsequently began the current unbroken streak of nine consecutive victories.
So what then of the rest of the competition? Well as it stands, Márquez’s Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa currently sits second in the championship, a mere seven points ahead of the seven-time premier class champion Valentino Rossi.
Both Pedrosa and Rossi have had a strong season to date, when you relate their results to Márquez’s. Pedrosa has finished on the podium seven times so far, with a trio of second place finishes and a pole position at the Catalan Grand Prix, where he was relegated to third in the race.
Rossi on the other hand has appeared on the podium five times, on four of those occasions finishing second. Though in terms of performance, The Doctor has not found an ailment to his qualifying which remains his weakness this year.
As for Rossi’s factory Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo, things have not been as smooth. The two-time premier class champion has had a roller coaster season to date. From the retirement in Qatar, to his jump start in Austin and dropping to rear in Assen, the Spaniard more or less has not been his usual self.
Whether it’s external problems outside of MotoGP or issues surrounding contract negotiations for the future as eluded too by some pundits, Lorenzo has not come into 2014 with the same fiery, ‘gladiator’ style persona as in previous seasons.
There have been glimpses of the ‘gladiator’ within him though in some races. In Mugello for example where he hounded Márquez to the finish line for the race win and most recently at the Sachsenring, where the Yamaha rider carved his way to third after he was among the flurry of riders starting from pit-lane.
As the championship currently stands, Lorenzo sits fifth and 128 points behind Marquez. Whether or not it’s contract negotiations that is troubling Lorenzo, it is expected that over the break that Yamaha will re-sign him, despite the talk going around of Open Class rider Aleix Espargaró being close to signing with a factory team next year.
Ahead of Lorenzo at the moment and in fourth place is Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso, who has had a reasonable start to the season when considering where the Desmosedici bike currently stands in terms of performance. Also, in comparison to his new teammate Cal Crutchlow, Dovizioso has been a stand out with his two podium finishes.
The Italian’s name as well has been thrown around in the mix of riders with no solid contract for next year, with some expecting him to be on his way to Suzuki as they will re-enter MotoGP in 2015.
Other names that have shown some promise in the first half of the season, have been the likes of Stefan Bradl who heartbreakingly missed out on the chance to win his home race in Germany. Both Espargaró brothers have shown encouraging signs of their futures in the premier class, with the elder Aleix as mentioned before possibly chasing a factory ride in 2015.
Álvaro Bautista on the Gresini Honda bike too picked up a podium at Le Mans, but has been inconsistent. The three consecutive retirements from Qatar to Argentina had given some reason for concern as to how the former 125cc champion would fare in 2014.
Therefore then on the course the championship is currently on, it would be unwise to bet against Márquez retaining his crown in 2014. At the same time he continues to rewrite the record books, with the next milestone coming up for him being the great Giacomo Agostini’s ten consecutive victories in the premier class.
As for his competitors, it should be a hot battle for second place with the likes of Pedrosa and Rossi (who’ve now secured their futures in MotoGP) making appearances on the podium regularly. There is even the chance of resurgence from Lorenzo, similar to that of 2013. But as Márquez has proven so far this season, in the rain or sunshine, defeating him will not be an easy task.
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