Marc Márquez finally hauled himself back to the pinnacle of MotoGP in Japan last weekend, capping one of sport’s most arduous comeback stories with an almost flawless title charge.
The arrival of his seventh premier class title, and ninth crown in total, reduced the 32-year-old Spaniard to floods of tears as he dismounted his Ducati at the checkered flag and took in the enormity of his feat.
Arriving in Indonesia for the first of five remaining races this MotoGP season, a grinning Márquez sat down with a small group of international journalists, including CNN Sports, to reflect on his title, and his five-year journey through an injury-ravaged wilderness.
Realization
“When you are young, everything comes in a natural way, with natural instincts and natural talent. And even you don’t realize what a world championship is, honestly speaking,” Márquez explained, looking back to his first MotoGP title win.
“When I won in 2013, I didn’t realize what I was doing. So, now I realize, after 12 years, what is a world championship, and that it is super difficult to achieve.
“This one… I suffered much more.
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