2016’s MotoGP world championship was wrapped up at the Japanese Grand Prix over the weekend, with Honda’s Marc Márquez triumphing as both his Yamaha rivals fell.
The Spaniard’s first victory on Japanese soil in the Premier Class, granted him the 77 point lead needed to clinch a third title in MotoGP – as well as a fifth overall.
Difficult as it is to fathom, with three rounds still remaining on the calendar, Márquez was able to be the most consistent rider in a season of many inconsistencies.
A change in regulations, which saw the introduction of a universal ECU for every bike and a change from Bridgestone to the more unpredictable Michelin tyres – didn’t halt the 23-year-old from attaining five wins with a further six podiums.
So inconsistent has this season been, that at one point there were nine different
winners from nine consecutive races.
The key to Márquez’s success in 2016, has not been his usual raw speed which earned him crowns in 2013 and 2014, but the fact he has focussed more upon the bigger picture of the championship.
Bemusing was it to see the factory Honda rider yield victory at the Catalan Grand Prix, as well as the Dutchtime trialin Assen. On both occasions it was apparent that he had little pace relative to Valentino Rossi and Aussie Jack Miller respectively, thus consolidating himself as runner up.
The Márquez of old would have indeed pushed for those victories.
Former world champion in Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo succumbed again to his inability to master wet weather in the middle part of the season, resulting in a form slump.
His teammate Rossi suffered with four retirements to his name, including a heart wrenching engine blowout at his home Italian Grand Prix. The rest however were as a result of rider error, which for The Doctor in his veteran embodiment is irregular.
Having taken the grand prix motorcycle racing world by storm in 2013, breaking record after record in his maiden season as the top, Márquez had established a reputation of youthful brashness – which then had stunned his opponents.
This saw the now five-time world champion best the likes of the mighty Lorenzo, the legendary Rossi and his enduring teammate in Dani Pedrosa for the first two seasons.
Come 2015, the young Spaniard’s design came under intense scrutiny. Despite achieving five wins, Márquez trailed by 88 points in the standings to the victor Lorenzo.
It was the six retirements however, including that infamous clash with Rossi in Malaysia that bloated the headlines instead of his positive results.
Almost twelve months later, Márquez stands a rider redeemed. Having capitalised on the hardships of the perennial championship protagonists, as well as taming his own extra-terrestrial capabilities – 2016 has been the most complete of his tally of five crowns.
At the budding age of 23, there are still many championships ahead of Márquez.
There were rumblings during his maiden season that this could be the ‘Valentino Rossi’ of the next generation.
Now that he’s ironed out the inconsistencies of the past, it is difficult to see the Spaniard dethroned during the following campaign, unless the competition steps up.
Lorenzo moving to Ducati. Maverick Viñales shifting over to Yamaha to partner Rossi. Pedrosa to return from injury. Can any of them throw the gauntlet to the smiling assassin?
Initially it was immeasurable to consider the thought of the mercurial Doctor’s record of nine championships being eclipsed – but with an unstoppable force such as Márquez, the immovable target can be reached.
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