Marc Marquez’s first boss in Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Francesco Guidotti, shared the story of his first pole position in the 125cc category, revealing the extent of the Spaniard’s winning mentality.
The nine-time Grand Prix World Champion is an extraordinary talent on two wheels, but one thing that sets him apart from his rivals is the hard work he always puts in behind the scenes.
His focus is second-to-none on the MotoGP grid. A one-season stint at Gresini Racing in 2024; Marquez fired the engineers after correctly predicting the throttle path From his own information.
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Marquez His work ethic seems to have developed during his time in the minor leagues, where he was clearly at a physical disadvantage compared to his taller and stronger rivals.
Pounds Neil Hodgson has previously said he ‘didn’t rate’ Marquez as a kid.Because it is so small. Indeed, seven MotoGP titles later, the British ex-rider could not have been more wrong.
Francesco Guidotti shares how Marc Marquez surprised KTM with his first pole position.
During a recent interview with Engine footprintFrancesco Guidotti, Marquez’s former boss at the Red Bull KTM 125cc outfit, was asked to share his memories of working with the Spaniard.
“He was already a KTM 125 factory rider in the Spanish championship, so I met him competing in the Spanish championship, here in Barcelona, ​​for the first time,” said the Italian.
“My first memory was when he took pole position in Donington, in his first year in the World Championship in 2008. He came back to the pit, and we were all happy, surprised and happy – we had a little celebration.”
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Marquez would eventually finish the race on the podium, but he had plenty of feedback to give to the engineers regarding the performance of the 125cc KTM bike.
“He was very calm when he took the helmet off, and he immediately identified a speed problem…that was it,” Guidotti continued. “That was the crux of the matter: the lack of acceleration. We were celebrating here, and he was determined.
“He was very young, but when you talked to him in the pits, it was like talking to a 30-year-old, outside the pits, he was like everyone else, 14 or 15 years old.
Always very happy and always looking on the bright side. He always put the negativity aside, trying to draw strength and energy from the fact that he was human. A little robot indeed.
Francesco Guidotti also saw Jorge Martin show similar behavior in MotoGP.
After Guidotti said Marquez’s robotic demeanor in the pit box had stayed with him, Guidotti also said Jorge Martin was another rider who carried himself the same way.
“George takes a similar approach to the issues at hand,” he said. “Problems must be solved, but he draws his strength, in any case, he does not allow himself to get down from the positive aspects of the situation.”
Although Marquez was sidelined after his horrific crash at Le Mans two weeks ago, Martin still sees the world champion as his main rival Campaign for 2026.
Marco Bezecchi leads the standings, while Martin is 15 points behind in second place. Marquez currently sits in ninth, 142 points behind Bezcicci by 100 points.
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