Marc Márquez – 2012 Moto2™ World Champion

At this weekend’s AirAsia Australian Grand Prix, Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s Marc Márquez became the fifth Spanish rider ever to win a world title in the intermediate-class, and being the first ever to do so on a Suter chassis.

Marc Márquez’s debut World Championship campaign in 2008 immediately served notice of his talent, and he took a podium at Donington in his first season despite a shortened campaign due to injury. In 2009 he scored a single podium on his way to eighth overall, before his full talent truly blossomed in 2010 as he scored an incredible 10 victories from 12 poles on his way to the 125cc World Championship title. One of his most notable rides was the fight-back from last on the grid in Estoril to storm to victory.

Stepping up to Moto2 in 2011 the youngster got off to a rocky start, crashing out of the first two rounds. However, a first win in Round 4 at Le Mans laid the way for six more victories as he pushed Stefan Bradl for the title closely, until a crash in practice at the Malaysian GP ended Márquez’s season prematurely. Problems with his vision as a result of that crash cut short his 2012 pre-season, but he was well on the pace in the final Test at Jerez and was an instant favourite for the 2012 title.

And Márquez did not disappoint as he took victory in the first race of the season in Qatar, and made his intentions clear with some tough and controversial overtakes in the race. A first DNF after a crash in a wet Le Mans gave his rivals hope, as compatriot Pol Espargaró mounted a strong challenge. Yet after a coming together of the two at their respective home race in Catalunya, where Espargaró crashed out and Márquez collected valuable points, the title race was strongly skewed in the champion’s favour.

A total of eight wins, one of which in Japan saw him fight his way through the whole pack, and 13 podiums ultimately saw the Spaniard take his maiden Moto2™ World Championship title before moving up to the Repsol Honda Team in the MotoGP™ premier class next season.

 

 

 

Marc Márquez facts:

• At the age of 19 years 254 days he is the third youngest rider of all-time to win the world title in the intermediate-class.
• He is the fifth Spanish rider to win the intermediate-class world title, joining: Sito Pons (1988 & 1989), Dani Pedrosa (2004 & 2005), Jorge Lorenzo (2006 & 2007) and Toni Elias (2010).
• Márquez is the first rider to win the Moto2 world title using a Suter chassis.
• He has already had eight victories in 2012, which is a new record for most Moto2 wins in a single season.
• With 25 wins already in Grand Prix racing, Marquez has won more Grand Prix races than any other rider in the history of the sport whilst still a teenager.

 

 

MotoGP Career:

• 2008: 125cc World Championship – 13th position on KTM, 13 starts, 63 points
• 2009: 125cc World Championship – 8th position on KTM, 16 starts, 94 points
• 2010: 125cc World Championship – 1st position on Derbi, 17 starts, 310 points
• 2011: Moto2™ World Championship – 2nd position on Suter, 13 starts, 251 points
• 2012: Moto2™ World Championship – 1st position on Suter, 16 starts, 299 points

 

Source: motogp.com