French GP: crashes and showmanship, Marc Marquez is back

This year’s Le Mans GP will be remembered for many things, and one of these is undoubtedly the return of Marc Marquez, back at long lost after fracturing his right hand and missing three races. Ahead of the French GP, there were doubts as to the Spaniard’s level of competitiveness, considering the intense physical stress that his body, and particularly his arm, has been under for the last four years.

But although these were reasonable doubts, we all knew what we were likely to see. And Marquez didn't disappoint, the Spaniard making a true "Marquez style" appearance, an approach that involves responsibility, reputation and all eyes upon him. Race result aside – a crash while lying third putting paid to all the hard work he'd put in early on – the Spaniard stands out on the grid for one particular skill, or rather his ability to put on a show in a way that is as spontaneous as it is egocentric.

His showmanship on track is rooted in his winner’s mentality

Important sports figures are alike in that they can all be metaphorically compared to black holes made up of appeal, idolization, media hype and allure. Marquez is an individualist and this characteristic was on full display at Le Mans. After missing three races and undergoing four arm surgeries in three years, the Spaniard returned in style, flirting with pole position before setting the second fastest time in qualifying, battling for the podium in the Sprint race and then just missing out on third in the main race after crashing with two laps to go. Over the course of the weekend, the Honda rider was clear, reiterating that his winner’s mentality and approach to the races would not change, and that he would not be taking a conservative approach, opting instead to repeatedly attack the riders who are regular frontrunners.

It comes as no surprise that Jorge Lorenzo, a keen observer as well as former team-mate to the eight-time champion, recently defined Marquez as the only rider on the current MotoGP grid to show no fear. A theory that is backed up by what we’ve seen over the years but one that brings light and dark for a rider. From the love and hate that the fans display to the seesawing between victories and crashes (and therefore injuries), and from a conviction that you can be a winner on any bike to difficulty leaving Honda, the only manufacturer with which he’s competed in MotoGP.

Aboard the Honda, Marc is still Marc

This obsessive, winner’s mentality (typical of the great champions in every sport) of wanting to win at all costs comes with its risks. Marquez has shown that he’s willing to push to the limit, and sometimes beyond, and this has seen him make mistakes and suffer crashes and injuries. This aggressive behaviour can be dangerous, but it’s also one of the reasons why Marquez has been successful on many occasions. The Spaniard’s lack of fear is what MotoGP needs, and the show he put on at Le Mans is a demonstration of this. His risky riding style combined with an irreverent attitude that sees him chasing victory in every situation fits with the mental algorithm of the fan, or even casual observer, who is glued to the screen or watching live at the track.

Marquez’s absence or presence changes things up on track, which is not to say that the recent race and championship winners were not worthy of their success. They were, after all, quicker than Marquez (the law of sport prevails in this case and it’s only right to respect it – the strongest wins, no ifs or buts), but it’s also true that the Spaniard has an innate ability, more so than his rivals, to generate hype and put on a show on track. The way the Spaniard races has a real "vintage" romanticism about it and he’s one of the last riders to believe that throwing away a podium two laps from the end is the right epilogue to a race he had set out to win. The work Honda has done finally looked to have paid off at Le Mans. The Spaniard has spent at least the last couple of years asking for a bike that was more in line with his riding style. Might the much-praised Kalex frame that he tested (and approved) in France mean that Marquez finally has the heightened sensation he was looking for and MotoGP has its “old” Marquez back?