Twelve months ago, the name Marc Marquez wouldn’t have meant a lot to any but the most passionate of motor racing fans. At just 20 years of age, the young Spaniard had just been named as the new rider for the Repsol Honda MotoGP team and although his arrival was highly anticipated by those in the business, he also had some very large shoes to fill following the retirement of two-time MotoGP world champion Casey Stoner.
Not that it seemed to bother him. In his very first season in the premier class, Marquez won six of 18 races and finished on the podium a remarkable 16 times to win the world title at his very first attempt. Not only did he become the first rider to do so since Kenny Roberts in 1978, he was also the youngest ever MotoGP world champion.
If that wasn’t enough, his victory in the Argentinian Grand Prix last night made it three wins in three races in 2014 as he continues to leave veterans such as Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and teammate Dani Pedrosa in his wake.
So who is Marc Marquez and how did he get so good, so young?
Like most of his rivals, he climbed on a bike for the first time as a young kid – in his case at the age of four – and like most of his rivals he was clearly a step above when he first competed in local races in Catalonia.
But two things quickly set him apart. One, he is fearless. That sounds pretty obvious when talking about a MotoGP rider given that anyone willing to ride a bike at 300km/h must be at least a little bit crazy, but Marquez takes all of that to new levels. He pushes the limits of his bike more than any other ride, so while most would ease off a fraction when they feel they are on the edge, Marquez gives it even more.
And two, he rides like no other. Marquez brings with him techniques never before seen in MotoGP, from his extreme lean when cornering to his famous rear-wheel lift, also known as a rolling stoppie, when braking. Plenty of riders use a rolling stoppie to assist braking at the end of a straight, but Marquez is the only one who will start leaning into the corner while doing so. I’m not a rider myself, but apparently this is very difficult to do – particularly if you don’t want to crash the moment the rear tyre returns to the tarmac.
Such is his incredible control, the Spaniard has developed a style that allows him to brake later and corner faster than anyone else. But enough with the technical jargon – if you want a small window into just how special this kid is, you’ve only got to look at the numbers.
Marquez’s MotoGP world title in 2013 saw him become one of just four riders to have won world championships in three different categories, the others being the 125cc World Championship in 2010 and the Moto2 World Championship in 2012. When he made his 125cc debut in 2008 he had just turned 15 and he soon became the youngest ever Spaniard to achieve both a pole position and a podium finish.
His first win in 125cc didn’t come until 2010 but it was quickly followed by more as he became the first rider since Valentino Rossi in 1997 to win five races in a row. He ended up winning 10 races that year on his way to the title with the final race of the season in Portugal producing one of the all-time great rides. Relegated to the back of the grid after running off track during a mid-race rain stoppage, he tore his way through the field in the space of just a few laps before pipping title rival Nico Terel on the line for victory.
It was the sort of ride that explains why he has been so successful already in MotoGP. Fast, edgy, unique and with a ruthless competitive streak, many experts believe he is already revolutionizing motor bike racing and have issued a bleak warning to Marquez’ rivals – either adapt their own techniques to this new style of riding or get used to being left in his dust.
