Will Marc Marquez somehow have the final say in the MotoGP title fight?
Will he get involved in Pecco Bagnaia v Jorge Martin?
Marc Marquez has played a major role as the MotoGP title has been decided between two rivals in the past.
He awkwardly noted his notorious involvement in 2015 between Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi when questioned about the conclusion to this year’s championship.
Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin will do battle for the title at the finale next weekend.
But Marquez will resist the urge to get in the mix, it has been claimed.
“All of the boxes are ticked. He is more mature in his approach now, he wouldn’t interfere in the battle between Jorge and Pecco,” TNT Sports’ Michael Laverty said.
“He might overtake but only when it’s clean. Even though he’s a killer, I think he’d err on the side of caution.
“But there’s no doubt he will affect the outcome by taking points or making life difficult for them.”
Neil Hodgson added: “Marc won’t do anything silly.
“Is third in the championship important to him? A win is more important.”
The added complication is where Marquez will find himself in 2025.
A factory Ducati rider next season, he will either partner the three-time champion Bagnaia or partner a version of Bagnaia who is reeling from losing his crown.
How the Italian manufacturer hopes for Marquez to behave may also become a factor in the coming week.
Marquez’s own title hopes are over for the year but he will want to ride MotoGP’s best machinery to glory in 2025.
Martin has a 24-point advantage over Bagnaia with one sprint and one grand prix remaining.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
