Forget Lewis Hamilton–Marc Márquez, these are the F1–MotoGP grid parallels that make perfect sense: Part 1
- Abhishek Ramesh
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
Written by Abhishek Ramesh, Edited by Marit Everett
In the first part of our article mini-series pairing the current F1 and MotoGP grids, we chase down Marc Márquez’s true racing doppelganger in Formula One.
As the 2025 season dawned for the two premier motorsport series in the world, it seemed like the stars had aligned perfectly for two giants to take centre stage at their respective Italian powerhouses. Lewis Hamilton for Scuderia Ferrari in Formula One and Marc Márquez for Ducati in MotoGP. Hamilton and Márquez have had eerily similar trajectories up until this season. Both had eye-catching debuts at the sharp end, finishing on the podium for a historic manufacturer. While Hamilton eventually missed out on the title by just a single point in 2007, Márquez became champion as a rookie in 2013. However, they both managed to cement their status by becoming champions in their second season. And the similarities didn’t end there.
Both faced a dull period after the early burst—Hamilton from 2009-2013 and Márquez in 2015—while other manufacturers and racers took charge. That was the calm before the storm as they then went berserk by being dominant throughout the second half of the 2010s. And then came the rut.
Both Hamilton and Márquez, for various well-known reasons, went through a period of four years at Mercedes and Honda respectively, when they didn’t win the title. That elusive title which would have put their name past or equal with previous icons of their sport—Michael Schumacher and Valentino Rossi. So when they both moved to fiery, fast, red, Italian juggernauts, many fans thought it was just meant to be for the pair. But alas, their 2025 runs so far have been almost polar opposites.
On one hand, Hamilton has struggled to put Ferrari anywhere close to the podium, bar a solitary sprint win in China. The 40-year-old has even been largely trumped by his teammate, Charles Leclerc. Moreover, Hamilton’s struggles to adapt to the car have led to whispers among many that maybe he has lost his dominant edge.
Meanwhile, Márquez is back to his very best. Riding a Ducati GP25—widely assumed to be the most complete bike in MotoGP history—the 32-year-old has won every race bar one so far. Even that race was lost only due to his own carelessness while out in front at COTA in the U.S. Márquez has been on pole and won every sprint race till Round 4 as well. So it seems like this particular Italian motorsports fairytale has a happy ending only on two-wheels yet not on four.
But could there be even better MotoGP–F1 parallels on the grid today? Turns out there are, and some of them fit like a glove.
Max Verstappen–Marc Márquez
Let’s start by rectifying the Marc Márquez arc. But how does Max Verstappen fit in here? Well, he burst onto the scene just like Marc Márquez did. Both of them hold the record for being the youngest race winner in their respective sports. They are known for their fearless racing style that prioritises winning races instead of just accumulating points. It’s go big or go home—always! They are both known to be equally dominant in race trim as well as one-lap bursts in qualifying, making them the most complete current package.
Verstappen and Márquez are also known to be masters of variable conditions, having shown prowess in low-grip and wet-weather conditions where others struggle. They are famous for their feel for the machine. While Márquez is renowned for mind-boggling saves without crashing the front-end, Verstappen is adept at extracting the maximum out of highly sensitive front-end setups, something that his Red Bull teammates have famously struggled with over the years.
Both of them have shown to be mentally astute too. Verstappen is known for his shrewd mastery of the racing regulations, conceding nothing to his rivals and often even pointing out their mistakes on the radio (remember Lando Norris’ jump start at Bahrain?). Márquez showcased a similar knack while sprinting off the grid right at COTA this year to take advantage of tyre change rules.
Their mental strength perhaps also stems from being rivals with a true GOAT of the sport (Hamilton in F1 and Rossi in MotoGP). Surely, going against such names and coming out on top takes more than just sheer racing talent. Both have really developed under immense pressure to then themselves become the replacement of these legends.
Even off the track, Verstappen and Márquez have close ties. They both have been poster boys of Red Bull. Marc was sponsored and supported as a Red Bull athlete during his Honda days. The Honda connection is also similar, with Verstappen’s team powered by Honda engines during his dominant phase in the early 2020s. Additionally, they both have huge respect for each other and Verstappen has also tried out Márquez’s bikes in the MotoGP paddock. Now, that’s a proper connection, right?
So, there you have it—a racing resemblance that, if anything, feels even more striking in 2025. But that’s just the beginning. In the next part, we’ll delve into two more intriguing racer pairings, both revolving around one-manufacturer golden boys. One of them represents a strong French connection. Can you guess who they are? Stay tuned for more!
