Winning 12 wins, ten pole positions, 151 points ahead at the end of the season and ensuring the title while leaving four race series. That is a statistical picture of the dominance of Marc Marquez in the 2019 MotoGP.
Marquez’s dominance in MotoGP has indeed been seen since the Spaniard was promoted in 2013. But, this season Marquez’s dominance has gone too far because the Repsol Honda rider did not give the rival a chance to fight back.
Marquez’s closest rival in the 2019 MotoGP, Andrea Dovizioso this season collected 269 points which is a personal record in a season for the Ducati rider. Still, Marquez is able to excel up to 151 points at the top of the standings.
2019 MotoGP can be considered as a strange season, because Marquez bulldoze all competition without being detected before. Even though at the beginning of the season, the dominance of Marquez and Repsol Honda was not very visible in the pre-season tests.
At the start of the season Marquez also looked troubled after Andrea Dovizioso won the first race in the Qatar MotoGP. Despite having won the Argentine MotoGP victory, the 26-year rider then failed to finish in the United States MotoGP which is usually the ‘home’ of Marquez.
Since failing to finish in Austin, Texas, Marquez has not shown a cautious appearance. The six-time MotoGP world champion went crazy and took risks more often. The results are extraordinary. Marquez has always been able to finish in the top two positions including 11 wins after the United States MotoGP.
This season is also strange because Marquez is able to perform fast on a number of tracks that are usually difficult for Honda, such as Mugello, Red Bull Ring and Silverstone.
“This season the collaboration of Honda and Marquez is doing something crazy. They set record points and won all the world titles. Marquez did everything himself. He is too strong for all riders,” said Dovizioso.
Rossi Helpless
MotoGP 2019 is also marked by the fall of Valentino Rossi with Yamaha. The Doctor experienced the worst season with Yamaha with only able to win 174 points and occupy position seven final standings.
Rossi only won two podium finishes in Argentina and the United States MotoGP and failed to get on the podium in the second half of the season. The 40-year-old was even defeated by rookie racer Fabio Quartararo in the 2019 MotoGP final standings.
Bad results in the 2019 MotoGP made Rossi consider retiring after the 2020 season. The nine-time Grand Prix world champion thought there was no point in continuing his career if he slumped again in MotoGP 2020. Rossi would make a decision in the first half of the 2020 season.
This season will also always be remembered as the last season of Jorge Lorenzo, one of the greatest riders in MotoGP history. Lorenzo decided to retire from MotoGP after collapsing with Repsol Honda.
MotoGP 2019 became the worst season in Lorenzo’s career. The Spaniard was only in position 19 final standings with a notch 28 points. Lorenzo never even finished in the top ten positions this season.
Injuries that did not recover and difficulty adapting to the RC213V motorcycle made Lorenzo decide to retire, ending his contract faster with Honda.
MotoGP 2020 is expected to be more exciting than this season. Next season also has the opportunity to create more interesting stories and a lot of drama can happen. Many questions whose answers will be revealed in MotoGP 2020.
At least two questions have arisen at this time, firstly whether Quartararo is able to end Marquez’s dominance and secondly whether Rossi will retire from MotoGP.