As Marc Márquez closes in on the 2025 MotoGP Championship title, an old debate has resurfaced: how many World Titles does he have? In Japan this weekend he only needs to score three points more than Álex Márquez to be 2025 World Champion, becoming a nine-time World Champion... or will he be a seven-time World Champion?
The theory is simple. Marc Márquez has won six World Championships in MotoGP (the top motorcycle category, what was known before as 500cc), in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. On Sunday, he may win his seventh. But before that, he won Moto2 World Championship, in 2012, and 125cc World Championship in 2010 (what is now known as Moto3).
The controversy comes on which number will MotoGP celebrate his World Title. Nine, or seven? According to what MotoGP sources said to El Periodico de Catalunya (via Motorsport), the championship will start counting only MotoGP titles, instead of other categories. "What we will celebrate in Motegi if Márquez wins the championship will be his seventh MotoGP world title. That also means that we have started using 'MotoGP' instead of 'premier class' or 500cc/MotoGP."
This decision, made late last year, is part of the brand transformation of MotoGP, now owned by F1 owners Liberty Media, hoping to increase the value of the brand and reach new audiences. In that sense, it would be more confusing to say that Márquez is a nine-time World Champion.
He would, therefore, catch on Valentino Rossi (who also won seven World Championships in MotoGP and two in lower categories). If he wins, he will wear special clothes highlighting his seven titles, even though he technically has nine...