Can Marquez regain his crown in 2021?
Such is the otherworldly aura that radiates from Marc Marquez that, even after he sat out almost an entire season, and will miss the first two races this year, we start a new MotoGP campaign seriously considering his title prospects.
The last time we saw the six-time world champion on his factory Honda, he was pulling out of the Andalusian Grand Prix last July as he conceded defeat to his recently broken right arm. Three operations later, Marquez’s arm has healed to a point where he can ride again, but on Monday he confirmed that the opening double-header at Losail, comprising this weekend’s Qatar GP and next week’s Doha GP, will take place without him.
The world championship needs Marquez back, to provide a reference to the rest of the grid, which will in turn allow it the chance to prove that the results we saw in 2020 were no accident. But the world championship that Marquez will return to has taken on a wildly different complexion to the one he left. Nine riders won grands prix last season, the campaign won by Joan Mir on
