On the eve of the German Grand Prix, one of the key dates on Marc Marquez' (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) calendar, the Spanish rider sat down to talk with Spanish broadcaster DAZN about his current situation, the Championship, and, of course, his future.

The conversation took place in the days leading up to the action at Sachsenring, so the first thing the #93 referred to was the very different situation he found himself in 2024 compared to 2023. Last season, Marquez withdrew from the German GP after suffering a severe highside at Turn 7 during the Warm Up, causing a small fracture in his left thumb: "The German Grand Prix last year helped me see reality and learn that you can’t set certain expectations. Until that day, I had always set expectations, and there I understood that expectations and goals always have to be realistic. That weekend, I didn’t see reality, I didn’t know how to react. I was hitting a wall."

The eight-time World Champion has reiterated on several occasions that the idea of hanging up his leathers after the ordeal he has gone through in recent years crossed his mind at some point. But since joining Nadia Padovani's team, things have changed: "I have evolved, especially in the way I set realistic goals. You can't arrive at a circuit, no matter your history there, the way I did last year and try to win the race. That Grand Prix was frustrating. With the middle finger gesture, or showing myself dejected on the wall when I knew something had broken after the fall and I had to go through another injury… That made me learn to manage, to know how to adapt and not create false expectations."

For that same reason, Marquez did not set expectations for the 2024 German Grand Prix, where on Sunday he staged a sensational comeback that ended with a historic podium: "It’s okay not to win in Sachsenring, there will be a summer break, and the second part of the season will begin. At the start of the season, there are two or three circuits that you target because you think you can do better. Austin was one of the targets, and I fell in the race, and Sachsenring is another, but if I don't win, life goes on, and there will be more opportunities in the remainder of the season and next year."

"Not winning here is not a failure, but I know what will be said and I don’t worry about it. I have very clear ideas and know what I aim to achieve this season," he stated in the days leading up to the weekend.

The Spaniard was also asked about his main rivals in the title fight and whether he sees himself with a chance to fight for the crown: "Bagnaia has stepped up in these last few races and is raising the level. Martin is managing to be close, not at his level, but close. I have stalled a bit, stayed where I was in Jerez and Le Mans."

"People tell me I’ve been close, but you have to see reality, and the reality is that, how can I be in the fight if I’m saving Sundays? There are always two riders who are consistently faster and finish ahead. Many things have to happen, but I don’t see myself in the fight for the Championship. The goal will be to finish in the top three, though it won’t be easy; we’ll have to deal with Bastianini," he said before revealing who he sees as the favourite: "Right now, I see Pecco stronger; he has the mental stability and the results. He’s gaining momentum which, it’s true, can change in a couple of races, but right now, it’s a momentum that is frightening."

After all the frenzy of the 2025 rider market, Marquez opened up on whether his ascension to the factory Ducati team could be an issue for Bagnaia: "I think Bagnaia has taken it well, that we will be teammates next year. If I was in his place, I would face it as a challenge. They put the rider with the most World Championships currently on the grid with the same bike, and I beat him, I show that I can beat him. But you have to ask him how he took it."

And continuing with the rider market theme, he confirmed that his options to switch from Ducati to Aprilia or KTM were very real: "It was a possibility, it was option C, not the second, but yes, why not? There are two European brands that are doing well and have a method of work and progression that is leading them to win races. So yes, it was a real and feasible option."