MotoGP Rider of the Year: 2nd - Marc Marquez

After another epic season of racing, MCN’s sports team of Michael Guy (Sports Editor), Simon Patterson (MotoGP Reporter) and Oli Rushby (Superbike Reporter) sat down to discuss who impressed them the most in each race series we cover to establish MCN’s top five riders in each category.

And with this year’s MotoGP championship closer than ever, it wasn’t an easy call to decide who deserved what spot in our top five riders of the year in the class. Here’s what we think –  but feel free to disagree with us in the comments!

2^nd: Marc Marquez

Some may argue that the 2017 world champion deserves the top spot on this list, but while it was another dominant victory for Marc Marquez in the title race this season, it was more of the same from the Spaniard as well as he added yet another championship to a stunning tally so far.

Taking his sixth Grand Prix crown and his fourth in the premier class in only five years, he showed just how good he was as he took the fight to Andrea Dovizioso and Maverick Viñales. It wasn’t easy for him either, admitting that the pressure of this season means he lost his motivation to even throw his leg over the Repsol Honda machine at times.

But just how deep he was able to dig shows the determination of the 24-year-old; something equally evident when you look at the total commitment he shows on the bike, no less when he was seemingly breaking the laws of physics with his incredible saves.

And with the Honda machine underneath him improving weekend by weekend through the 2017 season, it’s hard to imagine that Marquez is going to be any less of a threat in 2018 – something that no doubt keeps his rivals awake at night!