Marquez yet to reach his peak, says Biaggi

Honda rider Marquez saw off a stern challenge from Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso this season to claim a fourth premier class title in only his fifth season at the top level of grand prix motorcycle racing.

At 24, the Spaniard became the youngest-ever rider to achieve that feat, beating Valentino Rossi – who collected his fourth 500cc/MotoGP title at age 25 – by a year.

Biaggi, who didn’t even make his premier class debut until the age of 26, believes that there is still more to come from Marquez as he gains extra experience and maturity.

“Marquez is world champion because he is the strongest rider,” Biaggi told Italian magazine Motosprint. “You just have to see everything that he’s won at only 24 years of age.

“And the most interesting thing is, in my opinion, he’s not reached his maximum level, so his best is still yet to come.”

Biaggi also believes that Marquez would have been able to win the title even with Ducati, as MotoGP’s top marques are now “pretty even”.

“Nowadays the top three or four riders are split by very few tenths, so I think the bikes are pretty even,” added the four-time 250cc and two-time World Superbike champion.

“Therefore, I think that if you took the world champion and put him on another bike, he would still win. So, Marquez would surely win also with a Ducati.

“How can you not be impressed by what Marquez does on the bike? The way he manages it when he makes it skid, it leaves you speechless, or when he nearly crashes but saves it.

“It’s not just luck; it’s his ability to manage the bike. He does things only he can do.”