Marquez Retains His MotoGP Title with Second-Place Finish at the Grand Prix of Japan

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Marquez is officially a back-to-back champ…

The 21-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and current MotoGP world champion has defended his title with a second-place finish on Sunday at the Grand Prix of Japan.

Marquez, who came in behind compatriot Jorge Lorenzo, crossed the line 1.638 seconds to collect the crucial points for the world championship win.

Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi of Italy completed the podium in third place.

Lorenzo took his second successive victory with a time of 42 minutes, 21.259 seconds over 24 laps at the 2.983-mile Honda-owned Motegi circuit.

With three races left in the season, Marquez has 312 points, 82 points ahead of Rossi and Dani Pedrosa. Riders are awarded 25 points for a win.

Having started fourth on the grid, Marquez passed Rossi midway through the race, then made an attempt to catch Lorenzo, but the Yamaha rider held his lead and Marquez settled for second.

At 21, Marquez is the youngest rider to take consecutive premier world titles.

“The race doesn’t really matter today,” Marquez said. “Maybe I wasn’t riding like always, as I felt a little different. It was hard to overtake, and I didn’t want to make any mistakes.

“We got the title and it’s incredible to take it at home.”

The next race is at Phillip Island, Australia, on October 19.

Pedrosa Ends Marc Marquez’s MotoGP Streak with Win at Czech Grand Prix

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Dani Pedrosa has stopped Marc Marquez’s impressive MotoGP run…

The 28-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer won the Czech Grand Prix on Sunday, ending the defending world champion’s season-long winning streak.

Pedrosa, who rides for Repsol Honda, covered 22 laps of the 3.358-mile Brno circuit in 42 minutes, 47.800 seconds for his 26th MotoGP victory.

Starting fifth, Pedrosa took the lead after overtaking Jorge Lorenzo with 17 laps remaining before cruising to victory.

“Overall I had a good experience at this track,” Pedrosa said. “It’s a little difficult when Marc is winning all the time so I’m very happy.”

Lorenzo finished second, 0.410 behind, and his Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s teammate Valentino Rossi was third, 5.259 seconds behind Pedrosa. Rossi competed with a left little finger injury he sustained in a crash on Saturday.

Marquez came fourth, finishing 10.454 behind the leader.

After winning all 10 previous MotoGP races, Marquez was seeking a record 11th victory. He started on pole but gradually dropped to sixth before rallying to third but Rossi passed him with 10 laps left.

“The Clinica Mobile made a good setting with the finger,” Rossi said. “I’m happy, I finally get to beat Marquez for the first time and I want to be fast in Silverstone.”

The next race is the British Grand Prix on Aug. 31.

Marquez still comfortably leads the overall standings with 263 points and seven races remaining. Pedrosa, his Honda teammate, is second with 186 and Rossi is third on 173.

Marquez Stays Perfect in Moto GP with Win at Indianapolis Grand Prix

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Marquez is a perfect 10…

The 21-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and current MotoGP world champion won his 10th MotoGP race in a row at the Indianapolis Grand Prix on Sunday.

Marquez recovered from a bad start to take the lead, gave it right back and then retook the lead for the final 18 laps, beating compatriot Jorge Lorenzo by 1.803 seconds to become the first back-to-back winner in Indianapolis. Italy’s Valentino Rossi finished third.

Though Marquez has been virtually unstoppable this season, with eight poles and 10 wins in 10 races, it appeares as if a couple of early miscues just might put that winning streak in jeopardy. But Marquez wasn’t about to let that happen.

“Every race I go to the weekend and I say, ‘OK, here maybe is the time to finish second or third. Here will be the time that I will struggle,'” Marquez said. “But every race I feel so strong. The most important thing is that I enjoy seeing the podium and the team enjoy every victory like the first one. So it is important to keep the motivation and the concentration, and we will see. But it will be so difficult to win every race.”

With his tenth consecutive win, Marquez equals Mick Doohan‘s 1997 record and continues his dominance in 2014.

But Marquez is quite familiar with breaking records and pursuing milestones since joining the MotoGP last year.

He’s the youngest world champion in history, and he’s now the youngest rider to win 10 straight races, breaking the mark Mike Hailwood set in 1964 when he was 24 years, 86 days old. Marquez is 21 years, 174 days.

And Marquez’s latest win also gave the powerful Spaniards their 500th grand prix victory.

Perhaps this should have been expected, given Marquez’s track record. He’s won all five American races over the past two seasons and has now pulled off a rare feat at one of racing’s most famous venues — four straight race wins. In addition to the 2013 and 2014 Indy GP titles, Marquez also won Indy’s Moto2 races in 2011 and 2012.

Márquez Makes History While Claiming His Ninth Consecutive MotoGP Title

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Márquez remains the man to beat in the MotoGP race…

The 21-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and current MotoGP world champion won the German Grand Prix on Sunday for the fifth time in as many visits to make it nine victories from as many races in his MotoGP title defense.

Márquez, at age 21, is the youngest rider ever to win nine consecutive races.

He finished comfortably ahead of compatriots Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo. Valentino Rossi was fourth.

The start of the race was disrupted by rain, and the podium finishers started from the pit lane after switching from a wet set-up to dry.

“I was worried about the back of the track initially and in the end my strategy was to copy Dani and Rossi, my main rivals for the championship. I followed them,” said Marquez.

Home favorite Stefan Bradl led the early laps but his bike was not set up for the drying conditions and the German rider finished a disappointing 16th.

Marquez, who had claimed pole position, cut through the pack before pulling clear with Repsol Honda teammate Pedrosa, who ultimately finished 1.466 seconds behind. Lorenzo was 10.317 seconds off the winning time.

“The race was nice in the beginning because I overtook several riders and then I had a good battle with Dani. I’m really happy for this victory. Now we can relax a bit,” said Marquez, referring to the summer break.

Marquez stretched his lead in the standings to 225 points, ahead of Pedrosa on 148 and Rossi on 141.

Marquez Cruises to Eighth Consecutive MotoGP Win This Season

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Márquez maintains his undefeated run in MotoGP action…

The 21-year-old Spanish motorcycle road racer and current MotoGP world champion outlasted Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso to take Saturday’s Dutch Grand Prix, making it eight straight victories as he defends his title.

Márquez is the first rider to win the first eight races of the year since Giacomo Agostini did it in 1971.

As he crossed the finish line he lay flat on his bike and made swimming motions with both arms and legs, to the delight of the crowd.

With the track drying after several showers, tire choices were a crucial factor. Márquez began with intermediates but both he and Dovizioso switched to a dry kit early on. The colorful Marquez hopped from one bike to another like a cricket during the unusual pit stop.

“I was very nervous before the race,” Marquez said. “The conditions are what no one wanted, very dangerous.” He said the tire choice was “the key decision.”

“It was hard going from wet to dry. But I felt better with each lap.”

Aleix Espargaro had won his first ever pole position but finished fourth.

Dovizioso took the lead after a Marquez steering mistake took him off the track. But Marquez kept his Honda upright and continued the race — and he had better speed. He tucked inside Dovizioso neatly on a curve to take the lead with 11 laps to go.

Dovizioso eventually finished 6.74 seconds behind. Marquez’s Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa was third.

Marquez leads with 200 points in the overall standings, while Rossi and Pedrosa both have 128. Doviziozo is fourth with 91, Jorge Lorenzo fifth with 81.

Marquez Continues His Perfect MotoGP Season with Italian Grand Prix Victory

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

It’s an unbelievable start of the MotoGP season for Marc Marquez…

The 21-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and current MotoGP world champion won the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday with a picture perfect pass at the start of the final lap to extend his flawless start to the MotoGP season.

With his sixth consecutive victory, Marquez became the first rider since Valentino Rossi won seven straight in 2002 to take six or more successive races.

Marquez started on pole but trailed Jorge Lorenzo for much of the race before finally passing his fellow Spaniard on a straight with seven laps to go.

The pair then traded the lead several times before Marquez finally surged in front for good around the outside of the Mugello circuit’s first turn.

“This was the toughest race of the year,” Marquez said. “I think it was a great show.”

Marquez, who rides for Repsol Honda, clocked 41 minutes, 38.254 seconds. Lorenzo finished 0.121 behind and seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi was third, 2.688 back.

Spanish rider Tito Rabat won the Moto2 race to extend his championship lead with his third victory of the season.

Italian teenager Roman Fenati took the Moto3 race, celebrating the home victory on a specially designed bike in national colors red, white and green.

A last lap crash between championship leader Jack Miller, Alex Marquez — Marc’s younger brother — and Enea Bastianini saw them all miss out on the points.

Next up is the Catalonia Grand Prix in two weeks.

Márquez Becomes Youngest-Ever MotoGP Champion

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Sure, he didn’t win the Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday… But Marc Márquez still has plenty of reason to celebrate.

The 20-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer has become the youngest MotoGP champion.

Márquez’s third-place finish at the season-ending event in Valencia, Spain secured him the 2013 world title in his rookie year.

Jorge Lorenzo won the race but Márquez only needed to finish in the top four to become the first to win the world title in his debut season in 35 years.

Dani Pedrosa was second, but only Lorenzo could deny Márquez.

“This is a dream that comes true,” he said. “I cannot explain what I feel.”

The win for Márquez sparked wild celebrations throughout the 104,000-strong crowd as the phenom wrote his name into the history books.

“I didn’t expect to fight for the championship [this season],” Márquez told BBC Sport. “Jorge Lorenzo did a great job but thanks to my team.”

Lorenzo said: “Marquez has been a deserving champion, today is his day.”

Márquez Earns Pole Position in Decisive Valencia Grand Prix Race

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Márquez is thisclose to making racing history… And, he’s in the prime position to approve it.

The 20-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, the current MotoGP points leaders, will start ahead of defending champion Jorge Lorenzo in the decisive Valencia Grand Prix after winning the pole position in the qualifying session on Saturday.

Márquez pushed his Honda through a lap in 1 minute, 30.237 seconds on the 2.48 mile Cheste Circuit.

Lorenzo will start Sunday’s season finale in second on the grid.

Márquez leads Lorenzo by 13 points entering the final race of the season. He needs a top-four finish to become the first rookie to win the championship since American Kenny Roberts in 1978.

Marquez Extends MotoGP Lead with Win at Aragon MotoGP

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Marquez is still the man to beat in the MotoGP race…

The 20-year-old Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle racer extended his points lead on Sunday by winning the Aragon MotoGP, although his victory came only after he played a part in the crash of Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa.

Marquez grazed the back of Pedrosa’s bike when he was trying to pass him with 18 laps to go, causing Pedrosa to lose control and slide down the track with sparks flying.

“I touched him a little with the front of my bike, and they tell me I may have broken a cable and that’s why he fell,” said Marquez. “It was very unlucky. That doesn’t usually happen.”

Marquez went on to overtake defending champion Jorge Lorenzo, who had jumped ahead with a great start on his Yamaha.

Marquez finished the race at the 5-kilometer (3.15-miles) MotorLand Aragon circuit in 42 minutes, 3.4 seconds. Lorenzo ended up 1.3 seconds behind.

“We knew before the race that it was going to be tough,” said Lorenzo. “We had a lot of difficulties this weekend. The bike was unstable. But there are no excuses. Marc was faster and he deserved to win.”

Valentino Rossi finished third, more than 12 seconds back on his Yamaha, ending a run of four straight fourth-place finishes.

Marquez’s sixth win of the season gave him one more than Lorenzo and broke his closest challenger’s run of winning the previous two races.

Marquez is aiming to become the first rookie to win the championship since American Kenny Roberts in 1978.

Marquez leads Lorenzo by 39 points with four races left. Pedrosa came in level on points with Lorenzo in second place but now trails Marquez by 59.

Pedrosa, who won here last year, had to be carried off the track by the medical crew. He later said that he was fine except for some pain in his pelvis.

Lorenzo Edges Past Marc Marquez to Win the San Marino Grand Prix

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Jorge Lorenzo apparently owns the track at the San Marino Grand Prix…

The 26-year-old Spanish professional motorcycle road racer, the race’s defending champion, claimed a second consecutive MotoGP victory after leading almost from start to finish at the San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday.

Lorenzo, who has now won his last three races at Misano, finished 3.379 seconds ahead of championship leader Marc Marquez.

Dani Pedrosa finished in third place, completing an all-Spanish podium.

Lorenzo started behind Marquez but swiftly took the lead and built an advantage of two seconds over the opening two laps.

Lorenzo, who won the British GP at the beginning of the month, now moves joint second in the standings, level with Pedrosa and 34 points behind Marquez.