P146
CN
III IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
H
ail to the chief. It's obvi-
ous who I mean. After the
Thailand GP, starting with
a terrifying, thumping crash, and
ending with a cheesy eight-ball
celebration of that many cham-
pionships, Marquez's reign was
extended again.
This coincided with a reader
survey in the British weekly Mo-
tor Cycle News, as to which of
two modern candidates was the
Greatest of All Time: Valentino
Rossi or Marc Marquez?
The poll put Rossi marginally
ahead, and I have the feeling
that it would be the same in most
countries. The 40-year-old may
already have passed his best-be-
fore date (a statement that risks
the wrath of his fans, but he's no
longer a serial winner), but he
still commands fanatical loyalty
and support.
Marquez has yet to achieve
the same level in this regard,
and the 26-year-old Honda man
may be less likable (a matter of
opinion, which in the end hardly
matters). But he's on the way
to eclipsing all sorts of records,
with clearly more to come.
He's different from Valentino
but no less impressive.
There are many variations—
one that Valentino is an accom-
plished showman and manipula-
tor of public opinion.
It was he who introduced the
cheesy pantomime to the world
championships. He has a lot to
answer for—though, to his credit,
CHAMPIONS. THEY'RE ALL THE
SAME BUT DIFFERENT
