Since Jorge Martin joined the MotoGP grid in 2021, the Spaniard has not battled well with Marc Marquez due to injury problems over the past five years.
Martin He made his MotoGP debut in 2021 at Pramac Marquez In the year He was making his first return from a career-threatening arm injury in Jerez in 2020. Marquez sat out the entire 2020 campaign and faced five more dismissals through 2023.
Honda’s problems developing their bikes without Marquez meant the Japanese team lost their way and struggled to compete at the front of the grid. Marquez He won three Grands Prix in 2021, but didn’t get another win until he later joined Gresini in 2024.
The second half of the 2024 season is the only time Martin and Marquez have really battled for top honors to date. Márquez scored three victories in the last nine rounds, beating Martin and winning in Aragon and Australia.
Name one rider who you believe deserves more success in their MotoGP career?
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Jorge Martin names Francesco Bagna as the toughest MotoGP rider he has ever competed against
But while Marquez won the 2025 MotoGP title in five rounds After joining Ducati in a truly dominant campaign, Martin failed to fight to retain his crown after joining Aprilia. The 27-year-old has started just seven of his eight Grands Prix in 2025 through injury.
Read more: Jorge Martin set a new record for the worst MotoGP title defense in history
So, when it comes to naming the most difficult rider to face in MotoGP, Martin views Francesco Bagnaia as its biggest competitor. Bagnaya beat Martin to take the 2023 champion by 39 points to claim the title by 10 points in his final act for Pramac before the latter exacted revenge in 2024.
Martin told Aprilia in a shared post. FacebookVery difficult. If I had to mention just one… Pecco Bagnaia.
Jorge Martin is fighting well with Marc Marquez so far, but Peco Bagnaia has won
Get him wrong: Jorge Martin thinks Marc Marquez is the best breaker in MotoGP history
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Martin occasionally shared the track with Marquez during his first few years in MotoGP, and most of their battles took place in 2015. In 2024 the former had a factory Ducati GP24 and the latter a one-year GP23 race. In the year In 2025, Martin’s injury problems prevented further fights.
Bagnaia, on the other hand, has been a constant thorn in Martin’s side in recent years. Their first honor was Bagnaia winning the 2021 Valencia Grand Prix by just 0.489 seconds from Matin. Bagnaya He won his first MotoGP title in 2022, but Martin struggled a lot.
In the year The 2023 season saw the real start of Martin and Bagnaia’s rivalry, peaking in 2024. Martin and Bagnaia have both finished second in six of 20 Grands Prix and both have finished on the podium in 13 races.
