Marc Marquez Laureus Nomination
Marc Marquez has been nominated for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, recognizing his enduring impact on MotoGP. Meanwhile, Yamaha faces criticism over its handling of a challenging new season, with industry voices urging better adaptation to the shifting competitive landscape.
This nomination follows Márquez's historic 2025 season, where he secured his seventh MotoGP premier class world title, his first since 2019. The championship marked a stunning return to form after a career-threatening 2020 crash, subsequent complications, and four separate surgeries on his arm. His 2025 title run was dominant, achieving 11 victories and 14 sprint wins before an injury ended his season with five rounds still remaining. This incredible comeback journey took 2,184 days between his sixth and seventh premier-class championships. Márquez is no stranger to the Laureus awards, having won the "Breakthrough of the Year" award in 2014 after his rookie MotoGP title win. He has also received four other nominations in the Sportsman and Comeback categories over his career. He faces formidable competition for the Sportsman of the Year title, nominated alongside tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis, Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar, and Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele. Meanwhile, Yamaha's troubles stem from a fundamental shift in bike philosophy, moving to a new V4 engine for 2026 after decades of using an inline-four design. The team has stated it views 2026 as a year for data collection ahead of the 2027 regulation changes. The season-opening race in Thailand highlighted the extent of their challenge, with their four bikes finishing in 14th, 15th, 17th, and 18th place. Factory rider Fabio Quartararo finished over 30 seconds behind the race winner. The poor performance has led to public criticism from riders, including Quartararo, who feels there is no clear development direction. In a rare move that underscored the difficult weekend, Yamaha management prevented its riders from speaking to the media after the Thai race.
