MotoGP Rider of the Year: 1st – Marc Marquez

After another epic season of racing, MCN’s sports team of Michael Guy (Sports Editor), Simon Patterson (MotoGP Reporter) and Oli Rushby (Superbike Reporter) sat down to discuss who impressed them the most in each race series we cover to establish MCN’s top five riders in each category.

And with this year’s MotoGP championship another close-fought affair every weekend even as Marc Marquez romped to title victory, it wasn’t an easy call to decide who deserved what spot in our top five riders of the year in the class. Here’s what we think –  but feel free to disagree with us in the comments!

First: Marc Marquez

As seasons go, it’s hard to argue that Marc Marquez’s was anything less than perfect. The now seven-time world champion dominated MotoGP again, taking win after win as he secured the crown with a handful of races still to go.

Taking his first victory in the third race of the year – and guaranteeing that he remains unbeaten at Texas’ Circuit of the Americas – he went on a streak after that, taking three wins in a row and five from seven races to look almost unbeatable as the series went into the summer break.

And with four more wins in the second half of the year, he combined the occasional victory with consistent podium form, never finishing out of the top three the entire year and with only four DNFs to reduce his points score, he was champion with three races in hand despite losing a race when Silverstone was cancelled.

And despite being only 25 years old, the Spaniard just keeps racking up the records. Now closing down on Valentino Rossi’s nine title and on Giacomo Agostini’s all-time win record at an alarming rate, it’s not impossible to imagine Marquez becoming the great of all time in short order.