Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso has spoken with great respect about fellow Spaniard Marc Márquez after Marc won the 2025 MotoGP world title. Alonso said that what Márquez has achieved is something only very few sportspeople in the world can do.

Márquez had a difficult journey back to the top. In 2020, he suffered a serious crash at Jerez that badly injured his shoulder. This injury changed his career and forced him to miss many races. Over the next few years, Márquez had several operations, long recovery periods, and struggled on a Honda bike that was no longer competitive.

During this time, many people wondered if Márquez would ever win again. Some even thought he might retire. However, Márquez never gave up.

Instead of quitting MotoGP, he made a brave decision in 2024. He left Honda and joined Gresini Ducati, a smaller team with a satellite bike. The move worked immediately. Márquez started winning races again and showed his old speed. Because of this, Ducati gave him a factory seat for 2025, where he went on to dominate the season and win his seventh MotoGP world championship.

Speaking in a documentary by Spanish broadcaster DAZN, Fernando Alonso praised Márquez’s mindset and strength.

Alonso said that natural talent is not enough at this level. He explained that athletes like Márquez need huge mental strength, discipline, and belief.

He said it is incredible that Márquez went five years without winning a title but never lost his hunger or competitive spirit. Alonso added that improving yourself when you are already a world champion is extremely hard, and only a few people can do it.

Alonso knows this struggle very well. He won two Formula 1 world titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006, ending Michael Schumacher’s long dominance at Ferrari. Later, Alonso joined Ferrari himself and came very close to winning more titles.

But much of his career has been spent in cars that were not fast enough. His time at McLaren between 2015 and 2018 was especially difficult because of a failed engine project with Honda. This led Alonso to step away from Formula 1 for a while.

He returned in 2021 with Alpine and later moved to Aston Martin, but he has not had a car capable of winning races. Despite being seen as one of the greatest drivers of his generation, Alonso has now gone more than 12 years without a race win.

Because of this, Alonso understands how hard it is to stay motivated when you cannot fight at the front.

He explained that when results do not come, drivers spend a lot of time alone, training and thinking. They have to remind themselves every day that they are still the same driver who once won everything.

Alonso said that you question yourself constantly. You look at old videos, past victories, and even your injuries, and tell yourself that you still belong at the top.

Márquez went through similar pain. After missing most of the 2020 season, he struggled again in 2021 and 2022 due to ongoing problems with his arm. In 2023, he suffered another setback when he broke his thumb.

Alonso said that coming back after time away is harder than people think. When he returned to Formula 1, he felt fast, but the times showed he was slower. He explained that racing is not just about talent; the brain, reflexes, and senses also need time to return.

He compared it to riding a bike again but needing training wheels at first.

Alonso also spoke about how success feels different the second time around. When you are young, winning feels normal, but after years of struggle, even small successes feel special.

He gave an example from his 2023 season with Aston Martin, when he scored eight podium finishes. Even without winning races, those podiums brought huge joy. He said you could see it clearly in the photos: while others looked calm, he looked truly happy.

Alonso said the same was true for Márquez in 2024. Even when Márquez finished second or third without winning, he celebrated with real emotion. After everything he had been through, just being competitive again meant everything.

Alonso finished by saying that when drivers return to the top after suffering, they learn to enjoy every moment. And that is why Marc Márquez’s 2025 title is not just a championship win, it is one of the greatest comebacks in modern sport.