Publications
Partners
VALENCIA, Spain - Spanish rookie Marc Marquez has become the youngest MotoGP champion at the age of 20 after finishing third in the final race of the season in Valencia on Sunday.
The Honda rider, who started from his ninth pole of the season, played it safe by avoiding a thrilling tussle between defending champion Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa before settling into second from lap 11.
Race officials said they would investigate an incident when Lorenzo appeared to push Pedrosa wide on lap 10, though Marquez's Honda team mate battled back to take second behind Lorenzo.
30-YEAR RECORD IS DUST
Marquez won the title with 334 championship points, four more than Lorenzo and 34 in front of Pedrosa.
He passed Freddie Spencer's 30-year-old record from when the American won his first MotoGP crown at the age of 21, also on a Honda, pipping compatriot Kenny Roberts in the final race of the year at Imola in 1983.
"It was the longest race of the year for me," Marquez told Spanish broadcaster Telecinco, with a grin from ear to ear. "I was very nervous at the start. I know I had said I wasn't, but I was. Jorge started very well and I wasn't sure quite what to do.
"It has been a great year. This has arrived earlier than I expected. Maybe too early, but I want to thank everyone from my team - and the fans."
Lorenzo had cranked up the pressure on Marquez by winning the previous two races (Australia and Japan) and flew off the grid to hit the front at the first bend with Spanish compatriot Pedrosa second and Marquez third.
Pedrosa and Lorenzo went on to delight the fans with a battle for the lead with Marquez watching from third as the two rivals in front of him battled it out, swopping positions over the opening laps.
MUSCLED BACK
With 21 laps to go Marquez hit the front, cutting inside the bend as the front two came together and Pedrosa was forced wide, dropping down to fifth.
The 26-year-old Lorenzo muscled his way back to the front a lap later and the title rivals pulled away from the rest of the field, while Pedrosa recovered ground to pressure his Honda team mate in second.
Marquez appeared to let Pedrosa pass him with five laps remaining and cruised across the line, Lorenzo's third successive victory too little, too late.
Marquez went over to where his fans were massed, waving red flags emblazoned with his number, 93, climbed on a barrier and threw his gloves into the crowd as he punched the air and then bowed to them all.
Result from the 2013 Valencia MotoGP
1 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 46min10.302
2 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 46min14.236
3 Marc Marquez (Spain) Honda 46min17.659
4 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 46min20.881
5 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda 46min25.267
6 Stefan Bradl (Germany) Honda 46min34.701
7 Bradley Smith (Britain) Yamaha 46min39.345
8 Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati 46min50.195
9 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Ducati 47min03.498
10 Michele Pirro (Italy) Ducati 47min13.285
11 Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia 47min14.499
12 Hector Barbera (Spain) FTR 47min17.128
13 Claudio Corti (Italy) FTR 47min21.783
14 Danilo Petrucci (Italy) Ioda 47min23.945
15 Colin Edwards (US) FTR 47min34.551
Standings after the 2013 Valencia MotoGP
1 Marc Marquez (Spain) Honda - 334
2 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha - 330
3 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda - 300
4 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha - 237
5 Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha - 188
6 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda - 171
7 Stefan Bradl (Germany) Honda - 156
8 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Ducati - 140
9 Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati - 126
10 Bradley Smith (Britain) Yamaha - 116
11 Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia - 93
12 Andrea Iannone (Italy) Ducati - 57
13 Michele Pirro (Italy) Ducati - 56
14 Colin Edwards (US) FTR - 41
15 Randy de Puniet (France) Aprilia - 36
Moto2 result
1 Nicolas Terol (Spain) Suter 43min24.972
2 Jordi Torres (Spain) Suter 43min29.019
3 Johann Zarco (France) Suter 43min30.965
4 Simone Corsi (Italy) Speed up 43min30.966
5 Esteve Rabat (Spain) Kalex 43min33.288
6 Alex de Angelis (San Marino) Speed up 43min35.568
7 Thomas Luethi (Switzerland) Suter 43min36.191
8 Anthony West (Australia) Speed up 43min37.306
9 Mattia Pasini (Italy) Speed up 43min38.355
10 Dominique Aegerter (Switzerland) Suter 43min39.581
Moto2 standings
1 Pol Espargaro (Spain) Kalex - 265
2 Scott Redding (Britain) Kalex - 225
3 Esteve Rabat (Spain) Kalex - 215
4 Mika Kallio (Finland) Kalex - 187
5 Dominique Aegerter (Switzerland) Suter - 157
6 Thomas Luethi (Switzerland) Suter - 155
7 Nicolas Terol (Spain) Suter - 150
8 Takaaki Nakagami (Japan) Kalex - 148
9 Johann Zarco (France) Suter - 139
10 Jordi Torres (Spain) Suter - 126
Moto3 result
1. Maverick Vinales (Spain) KTM 40min12.463
2 Jonas Folger (Germany) Kalex 40min12.649
3 Alex Rins (Spain) KTM 40min12.650
4 Alex Marquez (Spain) KTM 40min26.129
5 Efren Vazquez (Spain) Mahindra 40min26.171
6 Alexis Masbou (France) FTR 40min41.050
7 Isaac Vinales (Spain) FTR 40min41.239
8 Ana Carrasco (Spain) KTM 40min41.257
9 Philipp OEttl (Germany) Kalex 40min41.416
10 Miguel Oliveira (Portugal) Mahindra 40min41.648
Moto3 standings
1 Maverick Vinales (Spain) KTM - 323
2 Alex Rins (Spain) KTM - 311
3 Luis Salom (Spain) KTM - 302
4 Alex Marquez (Spain) KTM - 213
5 Jonas Folger (Germany) Kalex - 183
6 Miguel Oliveira (Portugal) Mahindra - 150
7 Jack Miller (Australia) FTR - 110
8 Alexis Masbou (France) FTR - 94
9 Efren Vazquez (Spain) Mahindra - 82
10 Romano Fenati (Italy) FTR - 73
The Honda rider, who started from his ninth pole of the season, played it safe by avoiding a thrilling tussle between defending champion Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa before settling into second from lap 11.
Race officials said they would investigate an incident when Lorenzo appeared to push Pedrosa wide on lap 10, though Marquez's Honda team mate battled back to take second behind Lorenzo.
30-YEAR RECORD IS DUST
Marquez won the title with 334 championship points, four more than Lorenzo and 34 in front of Pedrosa.
He passed Freddie Spencer's 30-year-old record from when the American won his first MotoGP crown at the age of 21, also on a Honda, pipping compatriot Kenny Roberts in the final race of the year at Imola in 1983.
"It was the longest race of the year for me," Marquez told Spanish broadcaster Telecinco, with a grin from ear to ear. "I was very nervous at the start. I know I had said I wasn't, but I was. Jorge started very well and I wasn't sure quite what to do.
"It has been a great year. This has arrived earlier than I expected. Maybe too early, but I want to thank everyone from my team - and the fans."
Lorenzo had cranked up the pressure on Marquez by winning the previous two races (Australia and Japan) and flew off the grid to hit the front at the first bend with Spanish compatriot Pedrosa second and Marquez third.
Pedrosa and Lorenzo went on to delight the fans with a battle for the lead with Marquez watching from third as the two rivals in front of him battled it out, swopping positions over the opening laps.
MUSCLED BACK
With 21 laps to go Marquez hit the front, cutting inside the bend as the front two came together and Pedrosa was forced wide, dropping down to fifth.
The 26-year-old Lorenzo muscled his way back to the front a lap later and the title rivals pulled away from the rest of the field, while Pedrosa recovered ground to pressure his Honda team mate in second.
Marquez appeared to let Pedrosa pass him with five laps remaining and cruised across the line, Lorenzo's third successive victory too little, too late.
Marquez went over to where his fans were massed, waving red flags emblazoned with his number, 93, climbed on a barrier and threw his gloves into the crowd as he punched the air and then bowed to them all.
Result from the 2013 Valencia MotoGP
1 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha 46min10.302
2 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 46min14.236
3 Marc Marquez (Spain) Honda 46min17.659
4 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha 46min20.881
5 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda 46min25.267
6 Stefan Bradl (Germany) Honda 46min34.701
7 Bradley Smith (Britain) Yamaha 46min39.345
8 Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati 46min50.195
9 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Ducati 47min03.498
10 Michele Pirro (Italy) Ducati 47min13.285
11 Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia 47min14.499
12 Hector Barbera (Spain) FTR 47min17.128
13 Claudio Corti (Italy) FTR 47min21.783
14 Danilo Petrucci (Italy) Ioda 47min23.945
15 Colin Edwards (US) FTR 47min34.551
Standings after the 2013 Valencia MotoGP
1 Marc Marquez (Spain) Honda - 334
2 Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) Yamaha - 330
3 Dani Pedrosa (Spain) Honda - 300
4 Valentino Rossi (Italy) Yamaha - 237
5 Cal Crutchlow (Britain) Yamaha - 188
6 Alvaro Bautista (Spain) Honda - 171
7 Stefan Bradl (Germany) Honda - 156
8 Andrea Dovizioso (Italy) Ducati - 140
9 Nicky Hayden (US) Ducati - 126
10 Bradley Smith (Britain) Yamaha - 116
11 Aleix Espargaro (Spain) Aprilia - 93
12 Andrea Iannone (Italy) Ducati - 57
13 Michele Pirro (Italy) Ducati - 56
14 Colin Edwards (US) FTR - 41
15 Randy de Puniet (France) Aprilia - 36
Moto2 result
1 Nicolas Terol (Spain) Suter 43min24.972
2 Jordi Torres (Spain) Suter 43min29.019
3 Johann Zarco (France) Suter 43min30.965
4 Simone Corsi (Italy) Speed up 43min30.966
5 Esteve Rabat (Spain) Kalex 43min33.288
6 Alex de Angelis (San Marino) Speed up 43min35.568
7 Thomas Luethi (Switzerland) Suter 43min36.191
8 Anthony West (Australia) Speed up 43min37.306
9 Mattia Pasini (Italy) Speed up 43min38.355
10 Dominique Aegerter (Switzerland) Suter 43min39.581
Moto2 standings
1 Pol Espargaro (Spain) Kalex - 265
2 Scott Redding (Britain) Kalex - 225
3 Esteve Rabat (Spain) Kalex - 215
4 Mika Kallio (Finland) Kalex - 187
5 Dominique Aegerter (Switzerland) Suter - 157
6 Thomas Luethi (Switzerland) Suter - 155
7 Nicolas Terol (Spain) Suter - 150
8 Takaaki Nakagami (Japan) Kalex - 148
9 Johann Zarco (France) Suter - 139
10 Jordi Torres (Spain) Suter - 126
Moto3 result
1. Maverick Vinales (Spain) KTM 40min12.463
2 Jonas Folger (Germany) Kalex 40min12.649
3 Alex Rins (Spain) KTM 40min12.650
4 Alex Marquez (Spain) KTM 40min26.129
5 Efren Vazquez (Spain) Mahindra 40min26.171
6 Alexis Masbou (France) FTR 40min41.050
7 Isaac Vinales (Spain) FTR 40min41.239
8 Ana Carrasco (Spain) KTM 40min41.257
9 Philipp OEttl (Germany) Kalex 40min41.416
10 Miguel Oliveira (Portugal) Mahindra 40min41.648
Moto3 standings
1 Maverick Vinales (Spain) KTM - 323
2 Alex Rins (Spain) KTM - 311
3 Luis Salom (Spain) KTM - 302
4 Alex Marquez (Spain) KTM - 213
5 Jonas Folger (Germany) Kalex - 183
6 Miguel Oliveira (Portugal) Mahindra - 150
7 Jack Miller (Australia) FTR - 110
8 Alexis Masbou (France) FTR - 94
9 Efren Vazquez (Spain) Mahindra - 82
10 Romano Fenati (Italy) FTR - 73
