Marc Márquez, the 'Mister 37' of MotoGP

Since the 2023 season introduced the sprint format within the grand prix framework, the highest score a MotoGP rider can achieve is 37 per event, which equates to 12 points for a victory in the Saturday sprint race and another 25 for the longer Sunday race, the one that counts in the GP winner statistics.

Until this year, Marc Márquez had only achieved that magical figure of 37 points once. Specifically, at the last Aragón Grand Prix in 2024, when he ended a streak of over 1,000 days and nearly three years without winning a race. At this same venue, the Motorland Aragón circuit, the Cervera native secured his fourth double victory of 2025 in eight races held. This demonstrates the overwhelming dominance the Ducati rider is imposing.

Before this Aragón Grand Prix, his main and almost only rival, Álex Márquez, mentioned that in the Gresini team box (the team Marc raced for in 2024 and with which he still maintains a great relationship), they had nicknamed his brother 'Mister 37'. On one hand, for the hegemony the eight-time world champion is showing in each grand prix; and on the other, to "see if it makes him a bit nervous," confessed the younger Márquez. Not even that.

At the Motorland circuit, Marc Márquez met the highest expectations, not only winning the two scoring races but also leading each session held: two free practices, one practice, one qualification, and the pre-race 'warm up'. Additionally, he achieved a new 'Grand Chelem', meaning pole position, winning the race, setting the fastest lap, and leading throughout all laps. A feat not easy to achieve, which only a dozen riders in MotoGP have conquered, and whose statistics are led, unsurprisingly, by Márquez himself with ten occasions.

Despite his superiority, the lead in the overall standings over the second-placed rider is just 32 points, within the margin of less than a grand prix advantage. If 'Mister 37' has not yet managed to open a wider gap in the standings, it has been due to his own errors at two circuits marked in green for him, Austin and Jerez. But also due to the incredible consistency of Álex Márquez, who in Aragón was once again the best of the rest and minimized damage with two second places and 29 points over the weekend. "We have to keep doing our championship as we have been, take advantage when we have the opportunity, and when not, don't," explained Álex Márquez after another podium Sunday.

With the Cervera brothers first and second in the overall standings separated by 32 points, there is a gap behind them to the third-placed rider, Pecco Bagnaia, 93 points behind the leader and 61 points behind Álex Márquez. After the Aragón race, Gresini was asked if he looked more ahead, in terms of the title, or behind, to maintain the second position with Bagnaia: "I look ahead and behind. We are not that far from the first and have a significant lead over Pecco, who will be fast again because now two good grand prix for him are coming up."

The Italian smiled again on the podium on Sunday, after scoring only four points in the last five outings between races and sprints: "After the recent results, it was important to return to the podium. The last time I finished third was in Jerez, and I was super angry. Today I am very happy." The Turin rider had been complaining for several races about a lack of confidence in the front end when braking and saw the light unexpectedly in the Aragón Sunday race when his team fitted a larger diameter brake disc on his Ducati, theoretically only intended for hyper-demanding circuits with braking.

But it worked for Bagnaia, and this Monday, in a scheduled test day at the Alcañiz track, he seeks to confirm this improvement for the next two calendar events, at two circuits he now has marked in green. One is Mugello, the Italian GP, his home race; and the other is Assen, in the Netherlands, his favourite circuit, which he has tattooed on his arm.

Will he arrive in time to rejoin the championship fight? "I don't think it's right to think about the championship right now. Sure, I needed a result like Aragón, but it's no secret that right now Marc is faster, and Alex is doing a fantastic job. The goal would be to start winning from the next race, but I don't think it will be that way," said Bagnaia himself, who didn't seem to have much faith in his chances. Not so much because he can't find the solution to his problems, but because of the year 'Mister 37' is painting red.

Jesús Gutiérrez