Márquez criticizes modern MotoGP: You have to ride the motorcycles like a robot
MISANO ADRIATICO – Marc Márquez has opened one of the most important technical debates in modern MotoGP by claiming that the powerful development of aerodynamics has taken away some of the freedom, improvisation and creativity that riders were once able to use to compensate for a motorcycle's shortcomings. Speaking in an interview with Bike World, the factory Ducati rider compared today's prototypes with the motorcycles he rode between 2014 and 2016 and concluded that modern technology demands an almost "robotic style". According to his explanation, a rider can no longer simply impose his own rhythm on the motorcycle, turn it more aggressively, allow it to slide or try to save the front end in the way that sometimes produced an advantage around a decade ago. The aerodynamic package now defines a very precise operating window in which the motorcycle performs at its best, and any departure from that window can increase tyre load, disrupt the balance and ultimately worsen the lap time. Márquez did not question the speed or technical sophistication of the current machines, but warned that their efficiency and predictability have changed the very nature of riding in the premier class.
The "robotic" style is not a criticism of speed, but of limited freedom
Márquez's message does not amount to a claim that today's motorcycles are worse or less impressive. On the contrary, he said they are very enjoyable to ride when they are properly set up and when the rider respects what the aerodynamics require from him. The problem, in his view, arises when the rider attempts to cross the limit defined by the motorcycle's aerodynamic concept. In the previous era, a more aggressive corner entry, controlled rear-wheel sliding or a brief loss of front-tyre grip could become part of the method used to build a fast lap. Today, such an attempt more often means that the motorcycle begins to fight against its own aerodynamic loads, causing the rider to use more tyre and energy without gaining the expected speed.
This is precisely why Márquez uses the comparison with a robot. He is not claiming that the riders lack talent or that racing has turned into an automated process, but that the optimal behavioural path of the motorcycle has become narrower. The rider must repeat highly precise movements, brake within a prescribed range, pick up the motorcycle at a particular moment and open the throttle in a way that allows the wings, ducts, diffusers and ride-height control systems to operate as the engineers intended. Differences are still created, but more through perfect execution of a technical plan than through visible improvisation. For spectators, this can mean fewer dramatic corrections, fewer spectacular saves from almost certain crashes and fewer moments in which it appears that the rider is physically "overpowering" the motorcycle.
Why Márquez singles out the period from 2014 to 2016
The Spanish champion identifies the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons as the most enjoyable period of his career on a MotoGP motorcycle. That choice is interesting for more than just the results. Márquez won the title in 2014 and 2016, while in 2015 he went through a considerably more difficult season marked by crashes and a struggle with the limits of the Honda of that time. His nostalgia is therefore not simply a recollection of a period in which he was winning, but of motorcycles that allowed for a wider range of riding solutions. According to him, it was possible at the time to take greater risks under braking, deliberately provoke a slide and try to bring the motorcycle back under control even when the front wheel began to lose support.
It is important to emphasize that aerodynamics was not completely unknown in MotoGP in the mid-2010s. Ducati accelerated the development of external wings precisely during that period, and in 2016 such additions became one of the dominant technical subjects in the paddock. However, their influence was not yet comparable with today's integrated packages, which shape almost the entire front and rear sections of the motorcycle. Following the ban on protruding wings from 2017, manufacturers began incorporating aerodynamic functions into the fairings, while development gradually expanded to side ducts, elements around the front wheel, the lower sections of the motorcycle and rear aerodynamic structures. As a result, aerodynamics no longer remained an addition, but became a foundation of the geometry, load distribution and the way in which the motorcycle accelerates, brakes and changes direction.
Downforce provides stability, but changes the behaviour of the front tyre
Aerodynamic elements on a MotoGP motorcycle generate downforce, meaning additional vertical load that helps keep the front wheel on the asphalt during powerful acceleration. This allows manufacturers to convert more of the engine's power into acceleration, with less lifting of the front end and fewer electronic interventions. The same concept can improve stability under braking and make the motorcycle calmer in extremely fast sections of a circuit. The gain is measurable, which is why no manufacturer can simply abandon this development while the regulations permit it. In a sport in which tenths of a second decide the standings, a technical solution that increases stability very quickly becomes a mandatory part of a competitive package.
Márquez, however, warns of the other side of that process. When the front tyre loses grip under substantial aerodynamic load, returning to a stable condition can be more difficult than on a motorcycle with less downforce. He explained that in the previous era it was sometimes possible to "catch" the front end after the initial slide, producing a series of his recognizable saves with his elbow or knee. On a modern motorcycle, the front tyre is already heavily loaded, so after losing contact it often does not have enough room for a gradual recovery of grip. This does not mean that saves have disappeared, but the dividing line between a small slide and a crash has become sharper, particularly during heavy braking and abrupt corner entry.
The aerodynamic wake makes riding behind a rival more difficult
The influence of aerodynamics is felt not only on the motorcycle controlled by the rider, but also in the air left behind the leading machine. A scientific study of motorcycles equipped with downforce-generating wings showed that the leading motorcycle creates a complex turbulent wake and vortices that can alter the forces and moments acting on the motorcycle following it. In practice, the effect varies depending on the distance and lateral position, but the rider behind a rival does not always receive the same stable airflow for which his aerodynamic package was designed. This can reduce front-end downforce, alter the feeling under braking and make precise corner entry more difficult. Such disturbances are one of the reasons riders and part of the expert public have debated for years whether technological progress has begun to negatively affect overtaking opportunities.
The situation is further complicated by front-tyre pressure and temperature. Riding in another motorcycle's slipstream reduces the flow of clean air towards the tyre and brakes, while repeated heavy braking increases the thermal load. As the pressure rises, the tyre's contact patch and the feedback the rider receives through the handlebars change. An attack on a rival therefore often has to be prepared several corners in advance, with a brief move out of the slipstream to cool the front tyre and brakes. Critics of the current technical formula believe that such sensitivity reduces the number of spontaneous attacks, although MotoGP continues to produce highly unpredictable races on circuits whose configurations allow several different racing lines.
Ride-height devices have further narrowed the optimal riding method
Ride-height lowering devices developed in parallel with aerodynamics. Their basic purpose is to lower the centre of gravity, limit the lifting of the front wheel and enable more efficient acceleration. The original "holeshot" systems were intended for the start, but manufacturers later developed solutions that could also be used during a lap, particularly when exiting slow corners. When such a system is combined with the aerodynamic package and electronics, the motorcycle can transfer power to the rear tyre extremely efficiently. At the same time, the rider must activate the device precisely and adapt his body position, braking and throttle application to its operation.
The FIM and the championship organizers have decided to gradually restrict these systems. Front lowering devices had already been restricted earlier, while in June 2026 the Grand Prix Commission announced that front "holeshot" devices would be removed from MotoGP motorcycles from the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen. A complete ban on all ride-height devices, including systems used only at the start, remains part of the technical package for 2027. The aim is to reduce complexity, improve safety and return a greater share of control to the rider. Nevertheless, banning these devices alone will not remove the influence of aerodynamics, which is why Márquez believes that a genuine change in the character of the motorcycles will also require stronger restrictions on the aerodynamic surfaces themselves.
What exactly will change in MotoGP from 2027
According to the decision of the Grand Prix Commission published by the FIM, MotoGP will enter its largest technical transformation in several years in 2027. Engine capacity will be reduced from 1,000 to 850 cubic centimetres, while the maximum permitted cylinder bore will be reduced from 81 to 75 millimetres. The engines will remain four-stroke and four-cylinder, while the minimum motorcycle weight will fall to 153 kilograms. Fuel capacity for the main race will be limited to 20 litres and to 11 litres for the sprint. The use of fuel that is not produced through petroleum refining has also been prescribed, meaning the technical reform is simultaneously attempting to address safety, sustainability and performance control.
The most direct change related to Márquez's criticism concerns aerodynamic dimensions. The FIM has determined that the maximum permitted width of the upper section of the front aerodynamic fairing will be reduced from 600 to 550 millimetres. The maximum height of the rear section will fall from 1,250 to 1,150 millimetres, the foremost point of the fairing will be moved 50 millimetres rearwards, and the permitted outer edge of the front aerodynamic appendages will also be narrowed. Aerodynamic elements behind the rider will have to be homologated as part of a complete package, and manufacturers will be permitted only one upgrade during the season. The intention of the regulations is not to remove aerodynamics completely, but to limit its growth and reduce its influence on speed, costs and the possibility of closely following a rival.
Márquez expected a more radical reduction
Márquez's latest criticism is consistent with his earlier comments on the 2027 regulations. Following his first riding experience with the new generation of prototypes, he said that he had expected a larger reduction in aerodynamics. In his assessment, motorcycles with 850-cubic-centimetre engines will be somewhat slower, but the difference may not appear dramatic to spectators beside the circuit. He considers the switch from Michelin to Pirelli tyres to be a greater change, because the new construction and compounds will directly affect braking, corner entry and the way riders manage wear. MotoGP has officially confirmed that Pirelli will become the sole tyre supplier in the premier class from 2027, meaning the same manufacturer will supply MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3.
For Márquez, the key question is therefore whether the combination of smaller engines, different tyres, a ban on ride-height devices and moderately reduced aerodynamics will genuinely create more room for different riding styles. If the aerodynamic package remains decisive for the motorcycle's behaviour, riders may gain slightly lower speeds, but not necessarily significantly more creative freedom. On the other hand, the complete removal of wings is not a realistic short-term objective because manufacturers have developed a large part of the motorcycle's construction, mass distribution and electronic strategies around aerodynamic load. The transition must therefore be substantial enough to improve racing, while remaining predictable enough for manufacturers to design the new generation of machines safely.
The debate over who should make the difference
At the heart of Márquez's statement lies an old motorsport question: should the greatest difference be created by the rider or by the technology? MotoGP has always been a laboratory for the most advanced motorcycles, so returning to simple machines without aerodynamic development would be neither realistic nor consistent with the championship's identity. At the same time, the value of the competition rests on the impression that the best riders can find a solution that is not visible only in computer simulations and telemetry. When a motorcycle demands one almost perfect procedure, talent is demonstrated through precision and repeatability. When it allows a broader range of behaviour, talent is also visible in improvisation, saving a mistake and creating a different line through a corner.
Márquez belongs to a generation that has ridden on both sides of that technological turning point. He experienced motorcycles on which he could compensate for instability through an extreme body position and aggressive braking, as well as today's prototypes, which achieve exceptional lap times when their aerodynamic operating window is respected. That gives his criticism particular weight: it does not come from a rider who rejects technical progress, but from a competitor who has won under different regulations and on different machines. His message is not a call to return to the past, but a warning that future regulations must preserve the visible role of the human being. The 2027 season will show whether the new formula truly allows riders to shape the character of the motorcycle more strongly again, or whether "robotic" precision will simply adapt to new dimensions, tyres and engines.
Sources:
- Bike World – original interview with Marc Márquez about the motorcycles from the 2014–2016 period and the influence of aerodynamics (link)
- Crash.net – report and quotations from Márquez's discussion of the "robotic" riding style and front-tyre behaviour (link)
- Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme – official Grand Prix Commission decision containing the technical regulations for the 2027 season (link)
- Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme – decision on the early removal of front "holeshot" devices during the 2026 season (link)
- MotoGP – official confirmation that Pirelli will become the tyre supplier for the premier class from 2027 (link)
- Motorsport.com – overview of the development of wings and aerodynamic solutions in MotoGP (link)
- arXiv – research paper on the influence of the leading motorcycle's aerodynamic wake on the motorcycle following it (link)
- AS – Márquez's comments after testing elements of the new technical generation and his assessment of the extent of the aerodynamic changes (link)