MotoGP: Marc Marquez World Champion, the numbers of a predestined

Today in Valencia Marc Marquez rewrote the history of motorcycling. The new world champion of the MotoGP class has in fact today become the youngest World Champion of the Top Class, but his numbers go beyond this; Below we look back at his career and his numbers.

The Spaniard began racing motorcycles at the age of six, first in motocross and then with minibikes. He made his debut in the world championship in 2008 riding a KTM 125 FRR. In that season, although he was forced to miss the GPs of Qatar, Spain, Malaysia and the Valencian Community due to injuries, he achieved a third place in Great Britain and finished the season in 13th place with 63 points.

In 2009 he moved to Team Red Bull KTM MotoSport. His best result was a third place in Spain and two pole positions (France and Malaysia), ending the season in 8th place with 94 points.

In 2010 he won the 125cc world championship riding the Derbi RSA 125 of Team Red Bull Ajo Motorsport. He obtained his first victories (Italy, Great Britain, Holland, Catalunya, Germany, San Marino, Japan, Malaysia, Australia and Portugal), two third places (Qatar and France) and twelve pole positions (Qatar, Spain, Great Britain, Holland , Catalunya, Germany, Indianapolis, Aragon, Japan, Malaysia, Australia and the Valencian Community) and won the title with 310 points.

2011 is the most difficult year. He debuts in Moto2 with the current Team (CatalunyaCaixa Repsol with a Suter MMXI). In the first three races he collected zero points, the result of three crashes, while he obtained his first victory in the intermediate class in the French Grand Prix, on the Le Mans track. He then obtained a second place in Catalunya, in his home Grand Prix. He wins in Holland and in Italy where he also gets pole position.

In the German GP he wins his third consecutive race (4th success of the season) again starting from pole position. In Brno he finished second after once again starting from pole, while in Indy he achieved his fifth victory of the year starting from pole for the fifth time. At Misano he achieved his sixth victory of the season, while at Aragon he obtained his seventh victory in Moto2 starting from pole position for the sixth time.

At Motegi he was second after starting from yet another pole position. Subsequently, due to a crash in the Sepang tests (ironically exactly where he crashed last Sunday and was unable to secure the title early), he was forced to miss both the Malaysian and Valencia GPs, effectively leaving the title to Stefan Bradl ( current Honda MotoGP rider). Due to vision problems following the fall in free practice for the Malaysian GP he had missed almost all the winter tests, arriving at the first race with very few kilometers covered on the motorbike. In 2012 he clearly dominated the Moto2 class and won the title, the second of his career.

This year, making his debut in the MotoGP class with the Honda vacated by Casey Stoner, he made an immediate impression. After excellent winter tests he shows up in Qatar, fights to the end with Valentino Rossi, finishing his first race in the Top Class in third position. In Austin (the track where he had been the fastest in the tests) he achieved his first victory in the Top Class, going on to "break" the record of youngest winner of a GP in the Top Class, a record that belonged to Freddie Spencer. Already on Saturday, by conquering pole, he had become the youngest poleman in the history of the premier class.

In Spain in Jerez he finished second by "overtaking" Jorge Lorenzo at the last corner, just as his idol Valentino Rossi did with Sete Gibernau. Immediate controversy, but the Honda rookie goes straight ahead. In France at Le Mans he finished third, while the Mugello weekend was one of the most difficult of the year. Many crashes during the test, one of which was truly dangerous; he loses control of his RC213V immediately after the top of the finishing straight, falling at very high speed near the wall of the track preceding the San Donato. In the race everything seems resolved, he is second (he had recently passed Pedrosa), when he loses control of his Honda and scores his first "zero" in the standings.

To return to victory he has to wait for the Sachsenring (in the two previous races in Barcelona and Holland he finished in third and second place respectively), a weekend that was in some ways decisive. In fact, during the German weekend his main rivals Lorenzo and Marquez were injured, both struggling with collarbone problems. From there three consecutive victories followed, two in the States, Laguna Seca (where Valentino Rossi passed the corkscrew, a move that is very reminiscent of the Pesaro overtaking Stoner) and Indianapolis, which gave him the triptych of victories in the United States. Then came two second places, at Silverstone (where he was penalized with points on his license for a fall in the warm up) and Misano.

He wins in Aragon, but here too, as in Jerez, there is controversy. In a slightly too cheerful braking he involuntarily touches the cable of the traction control sensor of Pedrosa's bike, "severing" it and resulting in a fall for his teammate. The fear of a penalty is great, but in the end he gets off cheaply. The rest is recent history, second in Malaysia, disqualified for failing to respect the Flag to Flag "window" at Phillip Island, second in Japan and World Champion today in Valencia.

Marc Marquez in numbers

6 victories (Austin, then 4 in a row, Sachsenring, Laguna Seca, Indianapolis and Brno, then Aragon).

6 second places (Jerez, Assen, Silverstone, Misano and Sepang).

4 third places (Qatar, Le Mans, Montmelò and Valencia).

9 pole positions (Austin, Le Mans, Sachsenring, Indianapolis, Silverstone, Misano, Aragon, Sepang and Valencia).

11 fastest laps (Qatar, Austin, Mugello, Montmelo, Sachsenring, Laguna Seca, Indianapolis, Brno, Misano, Sepang and Motegi).

334 points.

3 triples (victory, pole and fastest lap): Austin, Sachsenring and Indianapolis.

3 world titles in his career: 2010 (125cc), 2012 (Moto2) and 2013 (MotoGP).

2,019 km covered in the race.

5,876 km covered on test.

4,077 km traveled in pre-season tests and during the season.