By Mat Oxley
Marc Marquez arrived in MotoGP like a whirlwind last year, sweeping all before him. In April 2013, only a few weeks out of his teens, he became the youngest winner of a premier class motorcycle Grand Prix.
Last November he became the sport’s youngest World Champion, taking both records from American Freddie Spencer, another Honda rider, who wowed the racing world in the early 1980s.
Rookie champion
Marc Marquez was also the first rookie to win the crown since Kenny Roberts, another American, who won the 1978 World Championship at his first attempt. In the space of eight months the young Spaniard had matched or beaten the achievements of two of the sport’s all-time greats.
Marquez in Malaysia, in his distinctive orange and red livery
The Honda Racing Corporation signed Marc in July 2012, when he was on his way to the Moto2 world title, but they had already been watching him for years. Factory talent scouts knew the kid was something very, very special even before he made it into the 125 Grand Prix class as a 15-year-old.
Marc has an otherworldly talent for riding a motorcycle. Like Freddie Spencer and Kenny Roberts, he spent much of his early life riding dirt track, careering around in circles, with the bike slewing sideways beneath him.
Bronco rider
That’s why he rides his Repsol Honda RC213V MotoGP machine like a bucking bronco – pushing both tyres beyond the limit and then averting disaster at the last moment, when most riders would have reached the point of no return.
Marquez says that sliding helps him to control the bike
“If you slide, sure you can destroy the tyres more,” Marc says. “But if you can manage that, then you can control the bike better.”
Freddie Spencer believes Marc’s riding technique gives him a crucial advantage. “Marc is able to feel things when he’s on the edge of control and that allows him to be more aggressive and still be in control,” he says.
Marc’s wild style also makes him spectacular to behold. He likes to wrestle with his machine, willing it to operate beyond its design limits – always the mark of a true motorsport great.
Marquez prepares for a race
Back in the 1970s and ’80s, Kenny and Freddie were some of the first riders to use their knees as outriggers. When they had exceeded the limit they would dig a knee into the racetrack to avoid a crash.
Elbows and knees
Marc does the same with his knees… and his elbows! He drags his elbows through corners so aggressively that he wears special magnesium elbow sliders.
The 21-year-old thinks it’s hilarious. “When I tried plastic sliders they were finished in five laps!” he laughs. “A knee plus an elbow is better to save a crash.”
Born and bred in Cervera, a small town 60 miles inland from Barcelona, Marc laughs a lot. He’s one of those racers who loves everything about what he does – whether he’s on the track, in the pits or in the press room. He is an engaging interviewee and already one of Spain’s best-loved sportsmen.
But not everyone loves the winner of Honda’s 16th premier class crown. Some suggest he was more of a hurricane than a whirlwind last year. He fell from his RC213V 15 times during 2013 – including a record-breaking 209mph crash at Mugello – and upset some rivals with his robust style of racing. Marc, however, is unrepentant. “I need to attack because this is my style and I enjoy it,” he says.
MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez fractured his right leg during dirt track practice in Spain, his team announced Thursday, but he hopes to be fit in time for the season-opening Qatar Grand Prix.
The 21-year-old Spaniard, who last year became the youngest rider ever to win the world title, and the first rookie to win in 35 years, was injured on Wednesday and could be out for three to four weeks, Repsol Honda said.
More mature
This year the kid is older and wiser, so he will blend his raw speed with experience. He suffered a setback of sorts in early February, when he fractured his right leg during dirt bike practice in Spain.
Although he has missed pre season tests, Marquez’s team has announced it is confident he will be close to 100% when he gets on his bike to defend his MotoGP title in Qatar this weekend.
And if he keeps climbing his learning curve, there is little doubt he has it within him to become the greatest bike racer in history.
