For Marc Márquez, where he lives is not really about fashion, habit or following the path many Spanish MotoGP riders take. It is about performance. And on Saturday at the German MotoGP, he made the case that Spain — and especially Madrid — gives him what he needs to stay competitive after injury.
That explanation matters because Andorra has long been a natural destination for riders looking for high-altitude training, privacy and lower taxes. Márquez knows that world well. He said he has been going to Andorra since he was 15, and when he was 22 in 2015, he even tried moving there and bought a house as a second home. But the decision he made after his injury was different, and for a very practical reason.
Why Madrid became the better fit
“First I lived in Cervera because I was relaxed, I don't need physios, I don't need special machines,” Márquez said. “Now, since the injury, I need special machines, I need physios, I need different kind of training, and then I move to Madrid because I found there a good team and a good center.”
That is the heart of the story. The move was not a rejection of Andorra so much as a response to changed needs. Before the injury, a quieter base was enough. After it, recovery became part of the competitive equation, and Madrid offered the medical facilities, support team and training environment he felt would help him most.
Márquez also framed the decision in personal terms. “I understand the people that want to move, they are free to move,” he said. “But just in my personal opinion, I feel free if I'm living where I want.” He added that even though taxes matter, they are not the decisive factor for him: “I feel well in Spain, and I want to live where I feel that can give me the maximum to perform well on the circuit.”
That is a useful reminder that a rider’s home base can be as much a sporting decision as a lifestyle one. Márquez said he has paid his taxes in Spain throughout his sporting career and still has a house in Andorra, but his point was clear: he lives where he believes he can be at his best on track.
What it says about this stage of his career
The broader significance is that Márquez’s choices now reflect a different phase of his career. The rider who once needed only calm and routine now has to think about physios, machines and training detail. That does not make him less ambitious; it makes the margins around his ambition more visible.
In that sense, Madrid is not just a place on a map. For Márquez, it is part of the recovery structure that allows him to keep chasing results. And the fact that he explained the move so plainly suggests that, for him, the best path forward is still the one that helps him perform better on the racetrack.
