With time to spare, Marquez retains title
VALENCIA: The line to the circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana goes on for miles. By the time you actually manage to make it to the arena, you’re surrounded by a sea of Moto GP enthusiasts wearing Honda and Yamaha jerseys, waiting for the finale. The atmosphere is simply electric as every seat is filled and you have to jostle for space. If you dare to blink at the start of the race, you miss it all. That’s how fast the sport is.
With the top speed ranging from 300-350 kmph, the cacophony of sound is deafening. While the average speed in the fastest circuit is about 170 kmph (in a Formula One race the average speed can reach 250 kmph), watching a race live is exhilarating. As you see a blur pass by you, a thunderous sound follows. That leaves you craving more.
Riding his Honda RC213V, the Valencia GP was all about Marc Marquez. A crash during Q2 on Saturday left the 21-year-old on the grid at fifth. But that’s his magic. “Marc can have difficult starts but he recovers very quickly,” explained Repsol Honda team principal Livio Suppo.
The youngster proved that by taking the lead from Valentino Rossi on Lap 11. By the end on Sunday, there was simply unbridled joy after clocking 46’39.627. The Repsol Honda Team rider laughed, jumped and hugged his team as a section of the stands waved the 93 flag proudly. The reigning world champion had simply added another feather to his already impressive resume.
The numbers are staggering. With the win here, Marquez created a record of 13 premier wins in one season. He had tied with Mike Doohan’s record of 12 from 1997 after his last win in Sepang, Malaysia. But, that’s not the impressive bit. Not only did he become the youngest premier class world champion last year (which was his debut by the way), but retained the crown in 2014 with three races to spare along with 14 podium finishes.
“I was celebrating my brother’s (Alex) victory 50 minutes before the race,” said the ever-smiling Marquez. His 18-year-old brother clinched the Moto3 world title on Sunday. “I will never forget 2014,” he promised. Neither will the fans.