As real shame. While I might not have been wild about his personality, from what you can really tell of someone by seeing them on TV..., I did enjoy watching him take it to Rossi. And, unlike Rossi, he had some decent success with Ducati in the second half of 2018. I think breaking his back just took the wind out of him. While I certainly don't wish bad things on Marquez, it would be interesting to see if he bounced back from such a bad injury. Breaking a collar bone, finger, or even a leg is one thing. Breaking your back and coming close to being in a wheel chair the rest of your life brings that whole mortality thing home in a big way. Rossi was never quite the same after he broke his leg, and that was just a leg! Let's face it, to ride at the level these guys are riding, I really think they have to be in that state of denial about their own mortality that only young people seem to be able to maintain. Once that bubble pops, it can't really be un-popped. That Rossi is still riding at the level he is at his age speak volumes to me about his ability and self discipline. Marquez can talk smack all he likes, but we'll wait and see what happens as he ages...
There is also the whole jumping ship to another brand and having to develop another bike. I have to wonder if Marquez will stick with Honda in the assurance that he can keep racking up the wins, points, records, etc,... or if he might be willing to risk switching to another brand to see if he can do like Rossi did when he switched to Yamaha?
Also, I would NOT say Marquez hasn't had to work for his titles, this year or any other. The kid has amazing talent and you can tell he rides the bike on the very edge, witness all those insane saves he's made!! All the other riders on the Hondas complain about how hard they are to ride, but he gets it done. It reminds me of Casey Stoner on the Ducati. All the other riders weren't able to get results on the Ducs and yet Stoner was blowing away the field and making it look easy. It is a common thing when watching anyone that is really exceptionally good at what they do to think they aren't working hard because they make it look so easy. A GREAT example would be Graham Jarvis in the most recent Erzburg Enduro... I think he was 44 years old and took the win. I guess in one sense they are not literally working as hard in terms of physical extertion because their skill allows them to expend the least amount of energy to get the most out of the bikes while the lack of skill in lesser riders requires them to expend more energy because they haven't learned how to let the bike do the work for them.
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He has ALWAYS been at the back. I don't know that I have ever seen him finish in the points unless LOTS of other people crashed out. Yet, there he has been for years!
