In the space of just over a decade, Marc Márquez has not only reached countless milestones and broken records in the Motorcycle World Championship, but he has also been involved in moments that have made him a unique rider. Always representing Repsol, the newly crowned seven–time champion has provided iconic images over the past eleven seasons.
2010: The comeback in Portugal
Estoril circuit was the scene for one of Marc Márquez’ most phenomenal performances, on the way to his first title. After the race was interrupted due to rain, a crash on the warmup lap before the restart forced him to go through the pits for a speedy repair job to his bike. Despite starting from the back of the grid, he managed to fight his way to the front and take a fantastic win.
2012: From 33rd to victory
After having clinched the Moto2 title in Australia a few weeks prior, Márquez’ last race in the intermediate class saw him hit with a penalty during practice. He was forced to take the start from last place on the 33–rider grid, but he passed them all during the race to earn the win.
2013: Overtaking at the ‘Corkscrew’
Marc Márquez’ arrival in MotoGP came with a statement of intent. After taking the victory in just his second Grand Prix and becoming the youngest rider in history to win a premier class contest, the Spaniard made his mark at Laguna Seca in the United States. Emulating the passing move that Valentino Rossi did on Casey Stoner in 2008 on the most emblematic corner of the calendar, Márquez overtook the Italian in similar fashion.
2014: Ten consecutive wins
The second title for Marc Márquez in MotoGP, his fourth overall, came after an impressive streak of ten consecutive victories in the first ten races of the season. The historic circuit of Indianapolis was where he wrote his name in the history books as the first rider to achieve 10 consecutive wins since Mick Doohan in 1997.
2016: Into Q2 on a scooter
Qualifying for the Dutch GP again showed Marc Márquez’ ambition and competitive desire. In Q2, with the asphalt still wet, Márquez had a crash on his first hot lap that provided the image of the day: The Repsol Honda rider on the service road, commandeering a photographer’s scooter, to return to the garage as quickly as possible. Thanks to this, he was back on track with his second bike in time to complet two laps that allowed him to qualify fourth.
2017: Strategic mastery
Ever since the flag–to–flag system was created to avoid races stopping due to rain, Marc Márquez has proven to be adept at this type of contest. In the 2017 Czech Grand Prix, the Repsol Honda rider to be adept at this type of contest –seeing that the asphalt was drying out rapidly and his tyres did not offer him suitable grip– did not hesitate to be the first to change bikes. Despite there still being damp patches on the track, he was able to take advantage of the dry parts to claim an important victory at the midway point of the season.
2018: seven time World Champion
This year, Marc Márquez again put his name in the record books with his seventh World Championship. Since winning the 125cc title in 2010 and the Moto2 crown in 2012, his success in MotoGP has turned him into a global sports star, with five premier class titles in the last six seasons. Last Sunday, at the Japanese Grand Prix, the Repsol Honda Team rider took his first opportunity to clinch the title, doing so with a victory.