REPOKER OF MARQUEZ

Marc Marquez has enjoyed a perfect weekend in Le Mans taking pole position (with a new record), setting a new fastest race lap (1’33.548 on lap 8) and crowning it with the victory (in a record time) in front of 88,222 spectators. He also became the youngest ever rider (21 years and 90 days) to win five successive races in the premier class, taking the record from Mike Hailwood (22 years and 160 days old).

It was a chaotic start to the race with Marc slipping back from pole to ninth – after being pushed wide by Lorenzo –. As things began to settle down, and the race found it’s tempo, Marc started to pluck off the riders in front of him and by lap seven he was already up to fourth, with Dani also passing Smith and Dovizioso into seventh by lap nine. Marc then set the fastest lap of the race en route to passing Stefan Bradl and Pol Espargaro, and by lap thirteen he was on the tail of race leader Valentino Rossi. A slight error from the Italian gifted Marc first position and from this point he didn’t look back.

With his fifth win of 2014, Marc is the first rider since Giacomo Agostini in 1972, to win the opening five races of the year in the premier class, the first rider since Valentino Rossi in 2008 to win five successive MotoGP races and the first to win them all from pole since Mick Doohan in 1997, also on a Honda. He now extends his lead over Dani in the riders’ Championship to 42 points, Honda lead the constructors’ Championship by 38 points and the Repsol Honda Team lead the teams’ Championship by 82 points after five rounds.

100 X 100 MARC MARQUEZ

World Champion Marc Marquez takes his fourth win from pole – from the first four races of 2014 – and becomes the first rider to win the Spanish GP from pole since Capirossi in 2006.

It was once again a frantic start to the race, in front of 117,001 fans, with everyone vying for position. Marc and Rossi traded places for the lead several times on the opening lap as Dani battled with Lorenzo and Dovizioso in 4th. Finally Marc passed Rossi, before the end of the first lap, and began to push. From this point the young Spaniard opened a comfortable lead and set the fastest lap of the race on lap five (1’39.841). He then led to the chequered flag, completing a flawless race.

At the age of just 21 years and 76 days, Marc is the fourth youngest rider ever to reach the milestone of 100 GP starts, taking 36 wins, 59 podium finishes and 41 pole positions. He has raced at 22 different circuits during his Grand Prix career and has now won at 20 of them – the only two missing are Donington Park and Shanghai where MotoGP no longer visit. The only riders with more podium finishes – in the premier class – are Rossi (148) and Doohan (95).

The team will remain in Jerez for an Official Post-Race Test tomorrow before packing up and heading to Le Mans, France for round five in two weeks time.