Lorenzo on Marc Márquez: “He has three trump cards that the others don’t have”

With his one-two finish at the Sachsenring, champion Marc Marquez took an important step towards defending his title. At the halfway point of the season, the Ducati factory rider sits third in the overall standings with 190 points after eleven race weekends. He is just 18 points behind championship leader Jorge Martin (Aprilia).

The 2026 World Championship standings are closer than they have been for a long time. The top five – Martin, Ai Ogura, Marc Marquez, Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio – are separated by just 24 points. So the title race is set to be a thrilling one.

After the summer break, the action resumes from 7 to 9 August with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Former MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo is convinced that MM93 has a number of advantages in the title race that his rivals do not have. He is referring to three circuits that particularly suit Marc Marquez.

“He has three trump cards that the others don’t have: Aragon, Phillip Island and Valencia. All of them are counter-clockwise circuits,” said Lorenzo on his ‘Duralavita’ podcast, as reported by the Spanish platform Motosan. “If he gets to those tracks whilst the World Championship standings are still very close, he could have a significant competitive advantage. The other riders don’t have such a decisive weapon at their disposal. I believe that when he races on a circuit with predominantly left-hand bends, like these three, he has an 80 to 90 per cent chance of winning. On circuits with right-hand bends, however, the field is much more evenly matched. This World Championship is going to be really exciting.”

The strength of Ai Ogura

Lorenzo singled out one of Marquez’s rivals in particular: Trackhouse-Aprilia rider Ai Ogura. “For me, one of Ogura’s strengths is that he doesn’t crash. He’s a rider who makes very few mistakes, whilst others often make errors because they try to push beyond their limits,” the five-time world champion is convinced.

No matter who comes out on top in the end, one thing is certain: a close title battle will benefit the fans above all – and MotoGP itself.