MotoGP attempted to replicate the boom Formula 1 has enjoyed in recent years courtesy of Netflix’s Drive to Survive with its own docuseries in 2022.
But, despite favourable reviews, MotoGP Unlimited was a commercial flop, as a lack of a coordinated media campaign, a botched launch with dubbing issues, and a lack of release in key markets saw the series make little impact on the mainstream.
MotoGP parked series two of Unlimited early last season, but will offer fans a tell-all Marc Marquez documentary instead.
Created by the Fast Brothers in association with Amazon Prime Video and Dorna Sports, Marc Marquez: All In, charts the eight-time world champion’s continued recovery from the arm injury which has blighted him since 2020, peering behind the scenes of his personal life and his career.
Autosport was granted early access to the first three episodes of All In ahead of its worldwide release on 10 February, and have been incredibly impressed by the offering thus far.
Here are five reasons why Marc Marquez: All In is essential viewing for motorsport fans.
1. Marquez reveals a vulnerable side as he discusses his arm injury
All In’s story begins with the crash at the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix which left Marquez with a badly broken right arm, and which changed the trajectory of his career to this point.
The Spaniard has spoken often about the limitations of his arm during media debriefs since his return to racing in 2021, but has steered away from opening up too much on the mental anguish his injury has caused.
Immediately in All In, Marquez is brought to tears by his admittance to the filmmakers about his thoughts of retirement as he felt – at the time prior to his fourth major surgery in June of 2022 – that the “suffering” he was putting himself through just to race again wasn’t necessary.
Five-time grand prix motorcycle world champion Jorge Lorenzo – who is one of several figures who are interviewed to provide colour to the series – says Marquez’s ill-fated comeback just days after breaking his arm was down to him “wanting to be the hero”.
But All In shows both the win-at-all-costs nature Marquez is well-known for, and an emotional side to him where he understands the misery he has been through since was of his own making.
Marquez is MotoGP’s most popular rider, but All In off the mark paints him as the grid’s most genuine too.
2. The importance of family in Marquez’s career
Marquez is known for his guarded personal life, but has cultivated an entourage of people around him he can implicitly rely on for support.
We see glimpses of this during race weekends, but All In takes us deeper into this. The first episode sees both Marc and Alex Marquez packing up and moving to Madrid, visiting family on their way out. We get to meet Marquez’s grandfather, who has been a rock for him throughout his life, and who also believed he should have quit when it became clear in 2021 and early 2022 that his arm was not working properly.
The care that is given to Marquez from his family once again reinforces the genuineness around him, and also how vital it is to his own wellbeing. This is seen in the first episode when it is revealed that Alex Marquez told his older brother not to race on Sunday in Indonesia following the massive warm-up crash that left him with a third bout of diplopia (double vision).
In a later episode we get to know more about Marc’s father Julia, how he loves driving the Marquez brothers’ motorhome from race to race and the ground rules laid out by Marc on what his father can and can’t do while in the paddock.
It’s an incredibly candid insight into the inner workings of the Marquez clan, and one that is taken a step further by brother Alex.
3. Alex Marquez has accepted that he is fine with being ‘the brother of’
Marc Marquez’s success in MotoGP has always brought with it unfair comparisons for his younger brother Alex, who at every stage of his career has had to face the spotlight intensely placed on his surname.
While the double world champion and two-time MotoGP podium finisher has worked hard to carve out his own path, Alex Marquez has come to accept that he will always be Marc Marquez’s brother – and he is ok with that.
In episode two, the battle between both for sixth place at the 2022 Portuguese GP was put into focus, with Marc narrowly beating Alex. The pair share jibes on their plane back from the event. But it remains good-natured and both reveal how important the other is to their lives – both as racers and people.
Seeing both play with each other on Call of Duty at home in separate rooms juxtaposed with their Portimao battle gives credence to their claims that they have been able to keep track life and home life from interfering with one another.
4. Marc Marquez is an “asshole” on track, but that’s what makes him special
Marquez’s aggressive riding style has won him many fans and many races, but has courted controversy throughout his career.
This is perfectly illustrated in episode two of All In, as the filmmakers have expertly used the excitement of MotoGP’s shoulder-to-shoulder combat to show off Marquez’s kill or be killed nature on track.
The Spaniard says his first MotoGP title in 2013 was his “most special”, as there were “no limits”: if he was on the podium, or won a race, it was all good. It was also a year in which he battled hard with Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa and Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo.
Marquez fully accepts that he is an “asshole” on track, but bears no shame in admitting he likes being “risky” when racing.
As he tells his Honda team at Mugello in episode two that he will be going to America for a fourth surgery on his arm and pausing his season (something covered off a great deal in episodes two and three, and later in the series) Marquez takes great joy in an anecdote about his riding style. He revealed that in his first test in Malaysia on the Honda in 2013, having crashed four times, Honda’s former technical director Takeo Yokoyama told Marquez that his riding style would not work and he would simply keep breaking bikes.
As Marquez’s style continued to drive him to success, he says he always liked to make a point to Yokoyama-san that he was still the same rider as in that Malaysia test.
Even throughout the injury woes, Marquez’s spirit hasn’t been shaken – even if now he does exercise some more caution when necessary.
5. Marquez opens up on the Valentino Rossi feud
The feud between Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi was sad and bitter. The former used to idolise Rossi, and for the first two years of his MotoGP career their relationship was good. But it all fell apart in 2015 as Rossi accused Marquez of sabotaging his championship hopes late in the season and robbing him of a 10th motorcycle grand prix title.
In the documentary, Marquez opens up on the feud and sheds some new light on it. While it was their numerous clashes in 2015 that led to the souring of the relationship, Marquez believes it was him beating Rossi’s dirt track record at his VR46 Ranch in 2014 that set the tone.
All In does a good job in remaining fairly balanced on the feud, though can’t hide away from the fragility of Rossi’s ego as Marquez agrees with Jorge Lorenzo’s assessment that a rider who is convinced they can win generally doesn’t try to rattle another with wild statements in the press.
Just as Rossi’s hasn’t, Marquez’s view on what happened in 2015 – particularly in that infamous Malaysian GP – has not changed over time, but All In makes it clear how it affected Marquez in a big way.
Marc Marquez: All In is available to stream on 20 February on Amazon Prime Video
