MotoGP: Marc Marquez becomes youngest world title winner

By Gary RoseBBC Sport

Last updated on .From the section MotoGPcomments112

MotoGP: Marc Marquez becomes youngest MotoGP champion

Marc Marquez has become the youngest MotoGP champion as a third-place finish at the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix secured him the 2013 world title in his rookie year.

Jorge Lorenzo won the race but Marquez, 20, only had to finish fourth to become the first debut-season title-winner since American Kenny Roberts in 1978.

Dani Pedrosa was second, but only Lorenzo could deny Marquez.

"This is a dream that comes true," he said. "I cannot explain what I feel."

The result meant Marquez finished just four points ahead of Lorenzo in the standings, the smallest points margin since 1992.

Confirmation of the title win for Marquez sparked wild celebrations throughout the 104,000-strong crowd as the young Spanish rider wrote his name into the history books.

In a stunning first year at this level, Marquez became the youngest winner of a premier class race with victory at the Circuit of the Americas in April, won the most races in a single season as a rookie with six and is the youngest to win four races back-to-back.

"I didn't expect to fight for the championship this season," Marquez told BBC Sport. "Jorge Lorenzo did a great job but thanks to my team."

Lorenzo, 26, said: "Marquez has been a deserving champion. Today is his day."

The title fight had been taken to the wire after Marquez had been disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix, - a race Lorenzo won before then taking victory in the penultimate race in Japan.

MotoGP: Title is a dream come true - Marc Marquez

Marquez had started Sunday's race on pole but was overtaken by 2012 champion Lorenzo at the first corner.

Conscious of the need to avoid unnecessary risks, Marquez showed maturity not to get involved in a tussle with Lorenzo at the front.

Instead, his team-mate Pedrosa battled with his fellow Spaniard Lorenzo before contact between the two with 21 laps to go saw the former drop down the field.

Marquez then briefly fought his way into the front but Lorenzo again battled back to take the lead.

With the gap between the front three and rest of the pack increasing, Marquez appeared to sense he had done enough to secure the title as he rode safely to third place, with Pedrosa having fought his way back up to second.

Seven-times world champion Valentino Rossi finished fourth, while Briton Cal Crutchlow crashed out.

Valencia Grand Prix results:

1. Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) Yamaha 46'10.302

2. Dani Pedrosa (Spa) Repsol Honda 46'14.236

3. Marc Marquez (Spa) Repsol Honda 46'17.659

4. Valentino Rossi (Ita) Yamaha 46'20.881

5. Alvaro Bautista (Spa) Honda Gresini 46'25.267

6. Stefan Bradl (Ger) LCR Honda 46'34.701

7. Bradley Smith (GB) Tech 3 Yamaha 46'39.345

8. Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati 46'50.195

9. Andrea Dovizioso (Ita) Ducati 47'03.498

10. Michele Pirro (Ita) Ducati Test Team 47'13.285

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112 comments

  • Comment posted by U14821838, at 20:02 10 Nov 2013

    MotoGP isn't ending! The BBC has decided that we who pay our license fee don't deserve to see it on free tv anymore. They've let BT steal it. Great isn't, the White Queen cost £10 million to make, I wonder what the rites for MotoGP were? Shame on you BBC, you spend my money on Car Booty, or Fake Britain without actually asking what your viewers want you to spend our money on.

  • Comment posted by ChrisM, at 19:21 10 Nov 2013

    @4 We the MotoGP faithful are interested in this thread! If you don't like Moto GP then don't read the articles and don't comment on the thread!

  • Comment posted by U15659873, at 20:40 10 Nov 2013

    @13 "All 10 of us" sincerely apologise for being interested in a sport with real men and proper athletes as opposed to the wimps you call football stars.

    @22 Your reference to the riders as "drivers" proves your ignorance.

    Fantastic championship. Totally agree with @21, Lozza for next year's title but congratulations to Marc, well deserved.

  • Comment posted by muttley, at 19:10 10 Nov 2013

    Fantastic debut season performance. Can't help thinking he's been lucky with injuries, his style is risky. Also, lots of new bods in his garage next yr - true Honda to tinker/give too many options. Maybe a repeat next season, I'm thinking Lorenzo, Rossi etc will up their games.

    Btw, last BBC today, say what you like, brought MotoGP to the masses, thanks to Matt, Azi,Charlie, Steve, Suzi and Jenny

  • Comment posted by annaonion14539801152305374E12, at 20:51 10 Nov 2013

    #17 Crap comparison. Vettel's 4 titles aren't luck. Webber said he gets more from the car than anyone else. He was at Toro Rosso before in a pishy car. How is STRs track-record? 1 pole 1 podium 1 win = Vettel. They've not come close since. Cracking driver

    As for Marquez, good on him for showing sense & maturity lately. And good on other riders for upping their game in latter stages. Yay for 2014!

  • Comment posted by Dutchjimbo, at 20:55 10 Nov 2013

    @4. I haven't seen any footballers take to the pitch with broken collar bones, dislocated ankles or fingers ground down to the bone after falling off after a high speed crash. Try putting your comments to the family and friends of Marco Simoncelli who died doing what he loved.

    Engage brain cell when trying to compare motorcycle riders with other sports hey??

  • Comment posted by Mark Regan, at 20:55 10 Nov 2013

    A great season however I do wish all hype surrounding Marc being the first rookie since King kenny to win the championship, at least partially because this is the first year they relaxed the rule to let rookies straight on to factory rides. Then we have the constant 'Marquez made fewer mistakes' sorry but he made more than Lorenzo and Perdrosa put together but he bounced. Well done Marquez class

  • Comment posted by U15923168, at 20:42 10 Nov 2013

    @22 - Fortune You obviously know nothing about motorcycle racing as you ride bikes, not drive them.
    MM deserved to win in what turned out to be a good season of racing.
    Shame that the BBC have lost the rights to Moto GP looks like Sundays will now be spent watching Eastenders repeats!
    Thanks to Matt and the presenting team for doing a good job

  • Comment posted by Robert Clarke, at 20:19 10 Nov 2013

    A great season and a brilliant champion. Even as a lifelong F1 fan I'd say that on the evidence of this season I'd say the beeb should have sacrificed it's F1 coverage to hold onto MotoGP.

    Thanks to all the BBC team

  • Comment posted by U15380530, at 10:56 11 Nov 2013

    .....apologies in advance as my comments are very basic....but I stumbled across this race on TV whilst channel hopping....how much better is this than F1....after 1 lap I saw more action than the entire Abu Dhabi grand prix......I am a convert to MotoGP....

  • Comment posted by U10766654, at 09:06 11 Nov 2013

    Well done Marc.
    You rode like a champion all season.

    But,,,,,,,,,,,,,it may have been a different result if Yamaha had thrown a few more million at the bike and developed the quick shift gearbox a few weeks earlier.

  • Comment posted by xanonz, at 23:18 10 Nov 2013

    Lorenzo has been in such mean form and he really wanted it today but Marquez had the maturity to just play it cool, fantastic season with some really stonking individual battles in some of the races, can't wait for Lorenzo and Marquez to resume next year, if they both stay injury free it could be one of the best individual championship battles of the last decade. Also looking forward to Redding.

  • Comment posted by U13744212, at 22:21 10 Nov 2013

    @30 chloeflorence_ i love you_summed it up completely_
    @4 don't like Moto GP? no worries please leave it to those who love the world's toughest sport please there's plenty of football forums where you can waffle on endlessly about a yawn-inducing lame game go and be a WUM with them we have little enough look in on BBC
    @22 are you for real?have you ridden on track? do you know how hard it is?crazy

  • Comment posted by Ctrl-Alt-Del, at 20:40 10 Nov 2013

    #22#4#13 smeg heads

    Fantastic season great race fair result in all classes

  • Comment posted by MrMister, at 20:04 10 Nov 2013

    @17 As the saying goes, you make your own luck. MM podiumed 16 times out of 18 races showing how great a rider he is. After last season I doubt many would have bet against Lorenzo but he only got 3rd! Season ended up being great - was in the bag a month ago but still came down to the last race.

    @13 Mind too small to accommodate a sport that's not football? Butt out and go munch another pie mate

  • Comment posted by whatever_37, at 19:48 10 Nov 2013

    @13. There were 142,000 at the race today....typical ignorant football type, it's not as if football doesn't get a look in is it?

  • Comment posted by Lucifer Sam, at 23:31 10 Nov 2013

    Maybe BBC decisions with licence payers money such as the failed DMI project (£100 million loss) has led to losing top level sports. I will personally miss MotoGP on Eurosport & the anecdotes, insight & wit of Julian Ryder, Toby Moody & Neil Spalding. BBC once covered World Superbikes, with Suzi Perry when she gushed about how exciting that series was & how boring F1 was. Where did she end up?

  • Comment posted by DavidD, at 22:40 10 Nov 2013

    As a major F1 fan, it was very refreshing to watch the Moto 3 race this morning. Absolutely superb wheel to wheel racing and to have three riders within five points of each other at the final race is incredible.
    Moto GP has always been good too. Looked like it could have been a proper battle until Lorenzo went for the win instead of the championship. Well done Marquez. Great viewing.

  • Comment posted by Roarz, at 20:31 10 Nov 2013

    A real shame that today was the last motogp race on the bbc. There are no winners here, really don't think this will push many units for BT but it will mean lots of british fans will miss out and in turn, dorna and the teams will miss out on the viewership for sponsors.

  • Comment posted by U15489716, at 20:26 10 Nov 2013

    Absolutely fantastic to watch. Marquez rode professionally all season and throughly deserves the title. Credit to Lorenzo for producing an emphatic string of performances towards the lattar of the season (and gaining from Marquez's misfortunes). Shame it never got the recognition it deserved but thanks to the whole BBC team.

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