Hypothetical: What would the MotoGP title chase look like without Marc Marquez?

WITH Marc Marquez hunting an eighth-straight win this weekend, we wonder: what would the MotoGP title chase look like without him?

AROUND the time of the Spanish Grand Prix, bookies started offering markets on the results of MotoGP races without Marc Marquez.

Such was the certainty that he would win that week’s race — which he duly did — agencies thought an option to bet on the result without him might entice the punters to lay down their money.

That got us at SPEED thinking: What would the 2014 title fight look like without the brilliant young Spaniard?

So ahead of this weekend’s Dutch TT, where Marquez could potentially win his eighth-straight victory, we took to the results sheets with a little white-out and crunched the numbers.

Turns out that without Marquez — wouldn’t you know it — the title fight would be a cracker.

Take a ticket to fantasy land as we walk you through the ‘Marquez-free’ 2014 MotoGP world championship.

Watch all the MotoGP practice, qualifying and race action of the Dutch TT from this Thursday on SPEED (Foxtel channel 512).

Rossi get the year started off with a bang at Qatar.

ROUND 1 — QATAR
Jorge Lorenzo bins his Yamaha on Lap 1, handing the lead to Stefan Bradl. A resurgent Valentino Rossi starts to carve his way through the pack, moving forward until he hits the lead. With no Marquez to battle with, Rossi makes short work of Pedrosa to romp to a popular victory.

With a litany of fallers — Lorenzo, Bradl, Smith, et.al — it is Aleix Espargaro who puts his Open-class Yamaha legitimately onto the podium.

Australia’s Broc Parkes takes 14th place on his MotoGP debut.

Podium:
1 — Rossi
2 — Pedrosa
3 — A. Espargaro

The what-ifs: Lorenzo may not have pushed so hard knowing Marquez would be giving chase. Therefore it could well have been Lorenzo, not Rossi, taking an emphatic win for Yamaha.

Pedrosa’s Austin podium selfie would’ve featured Bradl.

ROUND 2 — AUSTIN
Instead of a Marquez demonstration, we’re treated to Pedrosa demonstration. The Honda heads home Andrea Dovizioso’s Ducati, who wins the battle for second over Bradl and Bradley Smith.

Podium:
1 — Pedrosa
2 — Dovizioso
3 — Bradl

The what-ifs: Lorenzo is the focus again. Without the pressure of Marquez he would not have been so jumpy at the start — alleged mosquito distraction notwithstanding.

Lorenzo would have been pipped at the post at Rio Hondo.

ROUND 3 — ARGENTINA

The massive Argentine crowd would have been treated to a thrilling contest between Lorenzo and Pedrosa, the Honda man finally snaking his way past the Yamaha on the final lap.

Podium:
1 — Pedrosa
2 — Lorenzo
3 — Rossi

The Doctor would once again reign in Spain.

ROUND 4 — SPAIN

Another race, another thriller! This time it’s Rossi duking it out with fast-finishing Pedrosa, the pair waging war over the closing laps. The Italian calls on every ounce of his experience to take his second win of the year.

Podium:
1 — Rossi
2 — Pedrosa
3 — Lorenzo

Rossi would take back-to-back wins for the first time since 2009.

ROUND 5 — LE MANS

Rossi clears off at the start, building a winning margin that no-one can bridge. Alvaro Bautista takes a welcome podium following a string of crashes, while Pol Espargaro takes the first podium finish of his MotoGP career on the Tech 3 team’s home soil.

Podium:
1 — Rossi
2 — Bautista
3 — P. Espargaro

The what-ifs: Without Marquez spurring him on, would Rossi have pushed to make a gap over Bautista? If he decided to toy with him, would the Spaniard have pushed too hard and crashed, possibly taking Rossi out?

Lorenzo would celebrate a victory in Italy.

ROUND 6 — MUGELLO

A back-on-form Lorenzo takes full advantage of the championship returning to a track that favours the Yamaha. He wins in a canter from a surging Rossi, who has carved his way from a lowly starting position to beat Pedrosa back to third. The late-race pass would also give him the championship lead for the first time since Qatar.

Podium:
1 — Lorenzo
2 — Rossi
3 — Pedrosa

Rossi would extend his title lead at Catalunya.

ROUND 7 — CATALUNYA

A titanic duel between Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Rossi rages throughout the race. Lorenzo starts to fade back into a clear third, while Rossi makes the most of Pedrosa running wide in the final corners to take his fourth win of the year. Parkes’ self-surmised ‘best race of the season’ is rewarded with 15th place and a world championship point.

Podium:
1 — Rossi
2 — Pedrosa
3 — Lorenzo

The what-ifs: With no Marquez to take his line, Pedrosa would not have run wide in the closing laps. The Honda had the clear edge over the Yamaha and would not have been beaten — but for a little Rossi magic.

MARQUEZ-LESS POINTS STANDINGS (After Rd.7 — Catalunya)
1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 145
2. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) 139
3. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 95
4. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) 83
5. Pol Espargaro (Yamaha) 67
6. Aleix Espargaro (Forward Yamaha) 63
7. Stefan Bradl (Honda) 59
8. Andrea Iannone (Ducati) 46
9. Bradley Smith (Yamaha) 46
10. Alvaro Bautista (Honda) 40
11. Yonny Hernandez (Ducati) 34
12. Nicky Hayden (Honda) 32
13. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda) 31
14. Scott Redding (Honda) 30
15. Karel Abraham (Honda) 18
16. Cal Crutchlow (Ducati) 17
17. Colin Edwards (Forward Yamaha) 10
18. Michele Pirro (Ducati) 9
19. Hector Barbera (Avintia) 5
20. Michael Laverty (PBM) 5
21. Danilo Petrucci (ART) 3
22. Broc Parkes (PBM) 3

CONCLUSIONS
We would be heading to Assen this weekend salivating over a thrilling year of racing, with ‘The Doctor’ well and truly back on form and leading the world championship.

Pedrosa is thriving as clear No.1 at Honda at a time that the Japanese company’s bike is the best on the grid, while that elusive first MotoGP world title within his reach.

Lorenzo would be within striking distance as the championship comes to tracks that he has enjoyed success on in the past.

But you know what? Even if the above were the case, I personally wouldn’t trade it for the privilege of watching the genius of Marc Marquez.

What we are seeing in this precocious Spaniard is truly special.

Enjoy it while it lasts, because talent like his is the stuff fantasies are made of.

The championship would not be better off without Marquez.

Originally published as Hypothetical: What would the MotoGP title chase look like without Marc Marquez?