Some will say that the latest documentary Marc Marquez: All In is MotoGP’s answer to the super hit OTT series based on Formula 1, Netflix’s Drive to Survive. Well, that’s not entirely accurate because the premium motorcycle racing class did launch a mini-series, MotoGP Unlimited, last year in March in partnership with Amazon Prime but it came and disappeared without creating a ripple. Hence, the wise people from the OTT platform decided to hold back MotoGP Unlimited season two and focus on the eight-time world champion Marc Marquez, including his Moto2 and Moto3 titles. With greatness comes controversies, and this documentary reveals Marquez has quite a few. Of course, it highlights his never-say-die Superman spirit, but the Spaniard also opens up to his mistakes and even explains how his over-ambitious decisions had backfired on such a magnitude level that he was forced to briefly think about hanging up his boots. Before we get down to why you should watch Marc Marquez: All In, this article is not written by a Marc Marquez fanboy, but one that appreciates the sport. Also, we must give credit where it’s due, one doesn’t become an eight-time world champion by being only aggressive and getting under other people’s skin. Well, at least not always.
1. Marc Marquez: Human side
Marc Marquez is known for his maverick overtaking manoeuvres and swatting aside his rivals on the track. This aggressive side of Marquez is loved and appreciated by fans across the world though as expected some naysayers find him a menace. Moving on to the five-part mini-series starts from the year of the pandemic when the six-time MotoGP champion met with a horrific accident at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2020. Marquez straightens the record that it has his decision to make a hurried comeback after the surgery, which further aggravated his injury.
Marc Marquez: All In gives the world a glimpse of his tight-knit family and how they supported him through thick and thin. Many MotoGP fans are already familiar with Marc’s parents and his younger brother Alex, who is also a MotoGP rider, but the documentary reveals how important his grandfather is. Marc admits that even when he was telling everyone he was fine, the 91-year-old patriarch saw through all this and told him to seriously consider retiring in 2021. In true Marc Marquez style, he tells his grandfather that he will give the surgery one more try. The series shows Marquez’s vulnerable moments like having self-doubt gremlins in his mind and physical limitations.
2. Marc Marquez: Brothers in arms
If you are a MotoGP fan and chances are that you are one otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this article, it’s well known that Alex lives in the massive shadow of his elder brother Marc. Sure, life can’t be too easy for the younger sibling, who is himself a two-time world champion in Moto 2 and Moto 3. What was touching to see is how close the brothers are, help each other and yank each other’s chains. Marc openly says that he loves to win, but he enjoys and celebrates his brother’s victories even more. The proud older Marquez reveals that Alex’s wins matter the most to him. A testimony to that was when Marc was over the moon and wildly celebrating Alex’s Moto 3 championship title in 2014.
3. Marc Marquez: Mad Max
Winning is everything for Marc Marquez and this has quite evident when he exploded into the top-tier MotoGP arena in 2013 and became the youngest-ever world champion and that too in his rookie season. Marquez admits that he had made his teammate Dani Pedrosa’s life miserable. As the rookie was winning more grands prix than any other rider on the track, he made calculated decisions to make sure that he was the focal point of the Honda Racing Corporation team (HRC). He went a step further and ensured that he received all the important motorcycle upgrades and rejected the ones that would aid Pedrosa. The first couple of years, both the riders had a frosty relationship, but later they went on to build a good camaraderie.
4. Marc Marquez: The nefarious dual
This is all about the infamous clashes in the 2015 season between the nine-time world champion, Valentino Rossi and the then-current title holder Marquez. Rossi had openly declared in front of the media that there was an alliance between his teammate Jorge Lorenzo and Marquez that was to ensure he didn’t win the world title. Was there any truth in that? Well come 2023, Marquez in the mini-series didn’t mince his words and admitted that in the Valencia GP, he could have pushed Lorenzo on the last turn before the chequered flag and put him under pressure. He decided not to as he wasn’t motivated and didn’t want to help his once-upon-a-time idol, Rossi, to win the championship. What led to his? This pressure cooker situation between Rossi and Marquez was building throughout the season and it finally burst at Sepang when the clash at Turn 14 ended Marquez’s race. Rossi did close in on the turn to ensure the Honda rider didn’t get any space to overtake, but the footage showed a certain ‘Leg of God’ moment from the Italian racer. Marquez talks about this incident and denies the fictitious alliance with Lorenzo.
Overall, the documentary is a balanced one, doesn’t demonise anyone in particular, and the protagonist isn’t built up as the flawless man of steel. If anything, Marquez openly criticizes himself and calls himself names that we can’t really mention here. You may or may not be a Marc Marquez fan, but to see the man’s sheer determination and family support is certainly a treat to watch.
The 2024 season kickstarts in March. As expected many questions will be asked like Marquez’s fitness, how will he tackle his new teammate Joan Mir, a former MotoGP world champion and whether Marc will once again be the worst nightmare for the rest of the riders on the circuit. We shall have to watch and follow the new MotoGP season and find out.
