Marc Marquez, a prominent figure in MotoGP and winner of six championships, has refuted suggestions that Fernando Alonso should retire from racing.
This week, 26-year-old Ferrari racer Charles Leclerc acknowledged Alonso's rightful place in Formula 1, stating he "deserves his place" on the racing grid. But he also added that "there are so many young people who deserve a place" as well.
Leclerc noted, "It's not easy to find the balance," for clearing the path for rookies whilst respecting F1 drivers with age and experience.
There's an underlying notion that Alonso, nearing his 43rd birthday, should have made way for younger talents instead of renewing his contract with Aston Martin, a decision that prolongs his F1 career to an astonishing 23 seasons.
However, fellow Spaniard Marquez sees no reason for Alonso to cease competing.
"I already said in an interview that Fernando is experiencing a second youth," Marquez commented to Marca, a Spanish sports daily.
"Having seen him when I was a child when he was at Renault and winning his titles, this second youth is very valuable for the media and for Spain. I think motorsport is highly valued in Spain, as well as non-motorsport - sport in general. For me, it is almost more impressive for him to have stopped and then come back like this," added Marquez, aged 31.
Interestingly, Alonso had initially left F1 following a challenging period with McLaren's Honda engines - only to make a comeback with Alpine in 2021, which eventually led him to Aston Martin and a resurgence of form.
"The first career he had was clearly very impressive," Marquez observed.
"But as an athlete, stopping like that, going into other disciplines and then returning to F1, being competitive, having the teams still love you because they need the experience that you have - that's what I value the most," Marquez concluded.
