MotoGP legend warns COTA “worst case scenario” for Marc Marquez’s rivals

MotoGP legend Kevin Schwantz says this weekend’s Americas Grand Prix is the “worst case scenario” for Marc Marquez’s MotoGP rivals.

Eight-time grand prix world champion Marquez has made a perfect start to the 2025 season, qualifying on pole at both of the grands prix run so far and winning both sprints and main races.

It has given him a 16-point lead in the championship over his brother Alex Marquez, while Marc Marquez’s factory Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia is already 31 points adrift in third.

Few are predicting Marc Marquez’s domination of 2025 to end this weekend at the Circuit of the Americas either given his record at the Texan venue.

Marquez won his first MotoGP race at COTA in 2013 and won six on the bounce up to 2018, before adding a seventh victory in 2021.

On Thursday at COTA, 1993 500cc world champion Kevin Schwantz said of Marquez’s start to 2025: “Everybody that’s in the loop kinda predicted that.

“And worst case scenario for the rest of the field, COTA has kinda been his home ground for quite some time.

“He didn’t quite have it his way the last couple of years. But before that seven wins on the trot.”

Marquez’s form on the factory Ducati was predicted pre-season to be strong, with many paddock voices making him the clear favourite to win the championship this year.

Schwantz admits he is somewhat surprised by just how quick Marquez has been out of the gate in 2025, but warns it “could be a long, tough season” for his rivals.

“It’s kind of a surprise,” he added.

“These modern machines seem so difficult. You go from one brand to the other, it’s all the same brand of tyre now, so that makes it a little bit easier.

“But I think Marc is just showing the talent that we’ve always known that he had - especially riding that Honda that nobody else could even come close to getting along with.

“So, could be a long tough season.”