Jorge Martin lists his sporting heroes, including MotoGP legend

Martin leads his compatriot by 40 points heading to the Aragon Grand Prix, where Marquez is almost unbeatable.

Overall, Martin has beaten Marquez to the title once, in 2024, taking his maiden MotoGP crown ahead of his fellow Spaniard.

Yet before resuming their title fight, he’s pointed out that his hero was, in fact, the most feared rider of Marquez’s career.

Speaking with Crash.net about how he spent his summer, the 28-year-old spoke about his heroes and was quick to name-check Rossi while discussing cycling.

Martin took part in the 1,000km TransPyrenees cycling event during his break and was asked if he takes inspiration from five-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar.

“I for sure admire other sports; I admire other athletes,” he responded.

Young riders are often asked to pick between Rossi and Marquez in a Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo style rivalry that has defined the sport.

Their ill-tempered 2015 fight for the championship was dogged by accusations of malfeasance and ended with a tangle in Malaysia, which saw Rossi dumped to the back of the grid and out of the championship for the season finale.

As such, Marquez is still often asked about the infamous battle even a decade on, and Martin’s comments show it’s still alive and well.

They could also be interpreted as mind games, which Marquez began ahead of the British Grand Prix.

With all of his rivals declaring him title favourite, Marquez decided to run with it and throw the pressure back at them.

"I'm the favourite,” he said in a media pool. "I've given you the headline, huh? But also put in small print that another title won't change my life, but it will for the others."

He may have a point about most of the riders in the title fight, but Martin is the exception, with a world championship to his name and, seemingly, the resolve to emulate his hero, Rossi.