Marc Márquez

MARC MAKES MORE HISTORY 

Marc Márquez (Honda) was crowned FIM MotoGP World Champion for the fourth consecutive year, securing the title with a ninth victory of the season in Thailand with four races remaining. The twenty-six-year-old’s sixth MotoGP crown in seven years, adding to those obtained in 125cc in 2010 and Moto2 in 2012, makes him the youngest rider in history to win eight FIM Circuit Racing titles. In addition, he is already the rider with the third most titles in the premier class, behind only Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini. 

Third in this year’s championship behind Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) and Alex Rins (Suzuki) – race winners in Qatar and Texas respectively – after three rounds, Márquez took hold of the series with victory in round four at Jerez. A further seven wins, including his tenth in ten years in all classes at Sachsenring and a 50th in MotoGP at Brno, and four second places from the next eleven rounds would effectively secure the title with four races still to be contested – a feat achieved just twice before, by Mick Doohan in 1997 and Rossi in 2005. 

Another record-breaking season also saw Márquez become the rider with the most pole positions in premier class history, surpassing Doohan again, and the Spaniard with most wins. He also becomes the only man in the history of the sport to have won five or more Grand Prix races for ten seasons in a row. 

PALMARES

MotoGP World Champion – 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013

Moto2 World Champion – 2012

125cc World Champion – 2010

SEVENTH HEAVEN FOR MARQUEZ

Marc Márquez (Honda) took his fifth FIM MotoGP World Championship title in six seasons in 2018, adding to his Moto3 and Moto2 crowns to make it seven in all and further enhance his legendary status at the age of just 25. Once again it was Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) who took the fight to the Spaniard, the pair picking up where they left off in 2017 with the Italian claiming victory in the opening round in Qatar by just 0.027 seconds after a race-long battle.

Márquez’s title defence was then hit by controversy in round two in Argentina, when he was given penalty for riding the wrong way up the starting grid, only to fight his way through the pack and then be handed another penalty for a move on Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) in the penultimate corner that left him out of the points. A further three-place gird sanction for blocking Maverick Viñales (Yamaha) during qualifying at round three in Texas did nothing to stop Márquez from taking a sixth straight win at the Austin track, and when Dovizioso crashed out of round four at Jerez, another victory gave the number 93 the championship lead.

From that point on, barring another crash as Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati) took the win at Mugello, he was a model of title-winning consistency, finishing on the podium in every race and claiming five more wins to set up a title shot at Motegi, the home of Honda, in Japan. With three races in hand he could afford to play it safe but that is not the Márquez way and he put the seal on the title with a stunning victory from the sixth on the grid, beating pole setter Dovizioso in another thrilling head-to-head that saw the Ducati man crash out with two laps to go.

Márquez is now the youngest member of an exclusive club of just four riders to have won five or more premier-class crowns, joining Valentino Rossi, Mick Doohan and Giacomo Agostini.

MARQUEZ ROLLS A SIX

Marc Márquez (Honda) claimed his fourth MotoGP World Championship title in just five seasons in the premier class of Circuit Racing after a tense final-round decider in Valencia, overcoming a gallant challenge from Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) to take the crown by 37 points. 

Márquez started the season on the back foot as Spanish compatriot Maverick Viñales (Yamaha) established himself as an early favourite for the title with stunning back-to-back wins in his first two races on a Yamaha. However, the Honda star bounced back with a fifth consecutive win at Circuit of the Americas to kickstart a spluttering season that eventually exploded into life at round nine, when a second win at Sachsenring was quickly followed by a third at Brno.

Whilst Viñales' challenge slowly faded and Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) also effectively dropped out of contention after breaking his leg in a training accident, Dovizioso had hit the form of his life. Back-to-back wins in Italy and Catalunya, and then again in Austria and Great Britain, put the experienced Italian on top of the standings with six races to go. 'Dovi' picked up further wins in Japan and Malaysia to crown his best ever season but it was Marquez, with five wins from eight races, that arrived in Valencia with a 21-point cushion at the top.   

Only a win in the final round would suffice for Dovizioso and although he gave his all, a crash in the late stages handed the title to the sensational Spaniard. Adding to his 125cc and Moto2 titles, Marquez is now a six-time FIM World Champion and at the age of just 24 years and 268 days, he is the youngest rider in Circuit Racing history to achieve the feat.

MARC OF A CHAMPION

Marc Márquez (Honda) became the youngest five-time World Champion in the history of the FIM Circuit Racing World Championship with his third MotoGP crown in just four seasons at the elite level of the sport. The former 125cc and Moto2 World Champion surpassed the feat of previous record holder Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) by overturning the legendary Italian and defending champion Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) with a campaign of consistency and control, qualities he added to his naturally aggressive and attacking style to devastating effect.

Lorenzo took the opening win under the lights of Losail, Qatar, but a crash in round two proved to be the first of several non-podium finishes in an uncharacteristically inconsistent season. As Rossi also mixed success with disaster, Marquez followed up back-to-back wins in Argentina and Austin with a run of strong points-finishes throughout a record MotoGP run of eight races with eight different winners; Jack Miller (Honda), Andrea Iannone (Ducati), Cal Crutchlow (Honda), Maverick Viñales (Suzuki) and Dani Pedrosa (Honda) all adding their names to the list of race winners in 2016.

Marquez broke the spell in round fourteen at Aragon and his fifth victory of the season three weeks later at Motegi, combined with another crash apiece for Rossi and Lorenzo, was enough to secure the title with three rounds to spare.