Marc Márquez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marc Márquez |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg)
Marc Márquez at the 2023 French Grand Prix
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 17 February 1993 Cervera, Spain |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Ducati Lenovo Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bike number | 93 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Marc Márquez Alentà (born 17 February 1993) is a famous Spanish motorcycle racer. He is known for his amazing skills on the track. From 2025, he will ride for the Ducati Lenovo Team. Before that, he raced for Gresini in 2024 and Honda from 2013 to 2023.
Marc was born in Cervera, Catalonia, Spain. People around the world call him the 'Ant of Cervera' because he is 5 feet 7 inches tall. In his hometown, he is known as 'el tro de Cervera', which means 'Thunder of Cervera'. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers ever. He has won eight Grand Prix World Championships. Six of these wins were in the top class, MotoGP.
Marc Márquez is one of only four riders to win world titles in three different racing categories. The others are Mike Hailwood, Phil Read, and Valentino Rossi. He is the most successful Spanish rider in MotoGP history, with 62 wins. In 2013, he became the youngest rider to win the MotoGP title. He was only 20 years and 266 days old. He was also the first rider since Kenny Roberts in 1978 to win the top class title in his first year.
Marc is known for his unique riding style. He leans very far over his bike during turns. This makes it look like he is always about to slide off! His younger brother, Álex Márquez, is also a world champion. Álex won the Moto3 title in 2014 and the Moto2 title in 2019.
Marc won the 2010 125cc World Championship. He also won the 2012 Moto2 World Championship. His MotoGP titles came in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. In 2014, he won ten races in a row. He also matched the record for most pole positions at age 23 in 2016. In 2019, he won his 8th World Championship. This was his 6th title in the top MotoGP class.
In 2020, Marc had a bad crash. He broke his right arm and missed most of the season. He also missed the start of the 2021 season. When he returned in 2021, he won three races. These were in Germany, Austin, and Misano. He finished 7th overall that year.
Contents
Marc's Racing Journey
Starting in 125cc (2008-2010)
Marc Márquez began his racing career on 13 April 2008. He was just 15 years old when he raced in the 125cc 2008 Portuguese Grand Prix. In only his sixth race, he got his first podium finish. This happened on 22 June 2008 at the British Grand Prix. He became the youngest Spanish rider to get a podium in Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
In 2009, he got another podium at Jerez. He then earned his first pole position at the French Grand Prix. He was 16 years and 89 days old. This made him the youngest Spanish rider to get a pole position.
His first win came on 6 June 2010 at Mugello. He then won three more races in a row. These were at Silverstone, Assen, and Barcelona. This made him the youngest rider to win four races in a row. His fifth win in a row was at the Sachsenring. He was the first rider since Valentino Rossi in 1997 to win five 125cc races in a row.
Marc faced some challenges later that season. He had an accident at the Aragon Grand Prix. But he bounced back with four more wins. This gave him a 17-point lead with one race left. At Estoril, he crashed during a practice lap. He had to start from the very back of the grid. But he still won the race!
He finished fourth at the final race in Valencia. This made him the second-youngest World Champion ever. He was 17 years and 263 days old. He won the 125cc title with ten victories that season.
Moving to Moto2 (2011-2012)
Marc moved to the Moto2 class in 2011. He got his first win in this class at the French Grand Prix. He then won six of the next seven races. This brought him very close to the championship leader, Stefan Bradl.
At the Australian Grand Prix, Marc started last due to a penalty. But he rode incredibly well and finished third! Sadly, he had vision problems after a crash before the Malaysian Grand Prix. He missed the last two races of the season. This meant Bradl won the title.
In 2012, Marc came back strong. He won the Moto2 championship title. He had a great battle with Pol Espargaró all season. He secured his second world title at the Australian Grand Prix. He then moved up to the top class, MotoGP, for the 2013 season. His last Moto2 win was at the Valencian Grand Prix. He started 33rd on the grid and still won! This was the biggest comeback in the sport's history. He finished the season with nine wins. He was off the podium in only three races.
MotoGP World Championship (2013-Present)
Repsol Honda Team (2013–2023)
On 12 July 2012, it was announced that Marc would join the Repsol Honda team in MotoGP. He replaced Casey Stoner and became teammates with Dani Pedrosa.
Marc impressed everyone during his first tests with the Honda RC213V. He was very fast for a rookie.
2013: A Rookie Champion
Marc started the 2013 season with a third-place finish in Qatar. At the next race in Texas, he won! This made him the youngest ever MotoGP race winner. He broke a 30-year-old record held by Freddie Spencer.
He continued to get podium finishes in the first few races. At Sachsenring, he won after his main rivals were injured. He then won his third race of the year at Laguna Seca. He even copied a famous overtake by Rossi!
Marc won four races in a row in 2013. This made him the first rider to do so since Valentino Rossi in 2008. He had some crashes but kept fighting. At Aragon, he won his sixth race of the season.
At Phillip Island, he was disqualified from the race. This made the championship battle very close. But at the final race in Valencia, he finished third. This was enough for him to become the youngest MotoGP champion in history!
2014: Dominating the Season
The 2014 season started perfectly for Marc. He won the first ten races in a row! This included wins in Qatar, Texas, Argentina, Spain, France, and Italy. He started all these races from pole position.
.jpg)
At the Catalan Grand Prix, he won his seventh race in a row. His younger brother, Álex, also won his Moto3 race that day. They became the first brothers to win Grand Prix races on the same day! They did it again two weeks later at the Dutch TT.
Marc won his ninth race in a row at the German Grand Prix. This made him the youngest rider to win nine premier class races in a row. With his tenth win at Indianapolis, he joined a special group of riders. Only Mick Doohan and Giacomo Agostini had won ten premier class races in a row before him.
He secured his second MotoGP title at Motegi with three races left. At Sepang, he broke Casey Stoner's record for most pole positions in a season, with 13. He also matched Mick Doohan's record of 12 wins in a single season. At the final race in Valencia, he broke Doohan's record with his 13th win of the season.
2015: A Challenging Year
The 2015 season was tougher for Marc. He started slowly with a fifth-place finish in Qatar. He won the second race in Texas. But in Argentina, he crashed out after contact with Valentino Rossi.
.JPG)
He had more crashes during the season. But he also had some great wins. He won back-to-back races in Germany and Indianapolis. At the Australian Grand Prix, he won his 50th Grand Prix race. He was the youngest rider to reach this milestone.
The championship battle was very intense. In Malaysia, Marc crashed after a collision with Valentino Rossi. This incident was a big talking point. Marc finished second to Jorge Lorenzo in Valencia. Lorenzo won the world title that year.
2016: Back on Top
Marc started 2016 with a third place in Qatar and a win in Argentina. He then won the Grand Prix of the Americas for the fourth time in a row. This gave him an early lead in the championship.
He showed a new, patient riding style. He got three second-place finishes in a row. Then he won the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring. He felt very comfortable at the Aragon Grand Prix and won there too.
Marc won his third MotoGP title and fifth world title overall at Motegi, Japan. He clinched the title with three races left. This happened because Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo crashed out of the race. His team made a special T-shirt that said "Give me five" to celebrate. He finished the season with a second place at the Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix.
2017: Another World Title
Marc had a mixed start to the 2017 season. He crashed while leading in Argentina. But he got his first win of the year in Texas. He also finished second behind Pedrosa at Jerez. He had more crashes and some tough races.
However, things changed for Marc. He won his eighth race in a row at the Sachsenring in Germany. This put him in the lead of the championship. He then won back-to-back races in the Czech Republic. He made a smart move by changing to slick tires early on a drying track.
He had a close battle with Andrea Dovizioso all season. He won in Misano and at his home race in Aragón. In Japan, Dovizioso beat him in a last-lap fight. But Marc won a week later in Australia. This was called one of the greatest races in recent years. Marc secured his sixth world title at the final race in Valencia. Dovizioso crashed, giving Marc the championship.
2018: Dominance Continues
Marc dominated the 2018 season. He won more races than in the previous two years. He started the year with a close second place in Qatar. He then won at Jerez and Le Mans. These were his first wins on those tracks in four years.
.jpg)
He had a strong lead in the championship. He won at Assen and Sachsenring. The Sachsenring win was one of his toughest. He won his fifth MotoGP title and third in a row after three hard-fought wins against Dovizioso. These wins were in Aragon, Thailand, and Japan. In Japan, Dovizioso crashed, which sealed Marc's title.
He qualified on pole position in Australia. But he crashed out of the race. In Malaysia, he started seventh but won after Valentino Rossi crashed. At the final race in Valencia, he crashed again. By the end of 2018, Marc had 44 MotoGP wins. This placed him among the top five winners of all time.
2019: Record-Breaking Season
Marc had shoulder surgery before the 2019 season. But he still started strong. He finished second in Qatar. In Argentina, he completely dominated the race and won easily. He crashed out while leading in the United States. But he quickly recovered.
He won at Jerez and France. At Barcelona, his four closest rivals crashed out in one incident. Marc controlled the race and won easily. He increased his lead with a second-place finish at Assen. He then dominated the Sachsenring round. This was his tenth win in a row at that circuit.
Marc got his 50th career MotoGP win at the Czech round. He won after a huge pole position lead. He won his 6th premier class championship and 8th world championship overall. This happened after he won a last-lap battle with Fabio Quartararo in Thailand. He finished the season with 12 wins and 420 points. He was 151 points ahead of Andrea Dovizioso. This was a huge championship lead.
2020: Injury and Setback
In 2020, Marc signed a long four-year contract with Honda. This was unusual. In the first race in Jerez, he crashed and broke his right arm. He had surgery but tried to return for the next race. However, he was in too much pain and had to withdraw. He missed the rest of 2020 and the start of 2021 due to his injury.
2021: A Comeback with Wins
Marc returned in 2021 after missing the first two races. He finished seventh at the Portuguese Grand Prix. He had some crashes but then won his first race in 581 days at the German Grand Prix. This was his 11th win in a row at the Sachsenring.
He continued to show his skill. He got a second place in Aragón. He then had back-to-back wins at Austin and Misano. Even though he won three races, he missed too many races to fight for the championship. He finished 7th overall. He crashed 22 times in 14 races that year.
2022: More Challenges
.jpg)
Marc finished fifth at the first race in Losail. During practice for the Indonesian Grand Prix, he crashed four times. A big crash during warm-up meant he couldn't race. He was later diagnosed with diplopia (double vision) again.
He missed more races due to another surgery on his right arm. This was his fourth surgery on that arm. Even after missing many races, he was still the top Honda rider. He returned at the Grand Prix of Aragon. He was involved in crashes with other riders. A week later, he got his 91st pole position in Japan. This was his first pole in almost three years. He also reached 100 podiums in the premier class at the Australian Grand Prix.
2023: Leaving Honda
Marc stayed with Repsol Honda for the 2023 season. He got pole position and third place in the first-ever MotoGP Sprint Race in Portugal. But in the main race, he crashed and injured himself. This meant he missed the next three races.
His penalty from the crash was delayed. He returned to racing at the French GP. He crashed out of the main race at Mugello while fighting for third. He ended his long streak of non-finishes at the 2023 Austrian motorcycle Grand Prix, finishing 12th.
On 4 October 2023, Honda announced that Marc would leave the team. They ended his contract early by agreement. He then joined the Gresini Racing MotoGP team.
Gresini Racing MotoGP (2024)
2024: A New Chapter with Ducati
Marc's move to Gresini was announced on 15 October 2023. He joined the Ducati satellite team on a one-year contract. He replaced Fabio Di Giannantonio and became teammates with his brother, Álex Márquez. Honda allowed him to test a Ducati bike in November.
In the Valencia Test, he finished fourth. He had a steady start to 2024. He finished fifth in the Qatar sprint and fourth in the main race. In Portugal, he finished second in the sprint. But he collided with Bagnaia in the main race. At the Circuit of the Americas, he crashed out of the lead in the main race.
At Jerez, Marc got his first pole position with Ducati. He crashed out of the lead in the sprint race but recovered to sixth. He finished second in the main race after a great fight with Francesco Bagnaia. He called it the best podium of his career. At Le Mans, he finished second in both races after starting 13th. This moved him to third in the championship.
He continued his strong performances. He finished second in the sprint and third in the main race at Barcelona. He also had a good weekend at Mugello, taking 22 points.
Marc had a tough weekend at Assen. He crashed out of the sprint and finished tenth in the main race after a penalty. A heavy crash in practice at Sachsenring caused a broken finger. But he still finished second in the main race.
He then had a dominant weekend at Aragon. He got pole position, his first sprint win, and his first race win with Ducati. This was his 60th MotoGP win and his first in 1043 days. He also won the San Marino GP and finished third at the Emilia Romagna GP.
At Indonesia, he crashed twice in qualifying. In the main race, his bike caught fire, and he had to retire. At Phillip Island, he started second. He fought his way to the front and won the race. He then crashed in both the Thailand and Malaysian races but finished them. He ended the season in third place overall.
Ducati Lenovo Team (2025–)
On 5 June 2024, it was announced that Marc Márquez will join the Factory Ducati Team in 2025. He will race alongside two-time World Champion Francesco Bagnaia.
Marc's Achievements and Records
As of 16 November 2024, Marc Márquez holds many impressive records:
MotoGP Records
- Youngest rider to win his first MotoGP World Championship title.
- Youngest rider to win 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 MotoGP World Championship titles.
- Youngest race winner in the MotoGP class.
- Most races won in a single MotoGP season: 13.
- Only rider to get 13 pole positions in a single MotoGP season.
- Most podium finishes in a single MotoGP season: 18.
- Highest points in a single MotoGP season: 420.
- Biggest title-winning margin by points: 151.
- First rider to win Moto2 and MotoGP titles back-to-back.
- Most fastest laps in a MotoGP season: 12 (shared with Valentino Rossi).
- Youngest rider to win 12 races in a single season.
- Youngest rider to lead the MotoGP championship.
- Youngest rider to win 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 races in a row in MotoGP.
- Most consecutive race wins in the 4-Stroke MotoGP era (since 2002): 10.
- Most consecutive race wins in a single Premier Class season (since 1949): 10 (shared with Mick Doohan and Giacomo Agostini).
- Youngest rider to win back-to-back championships in MotoGP.
- Most pole positions as a rookie in MotoGP: 9.
- Most wins as a rookie in MotoGP: 6.
- Most pole positions in MotoGP: 66.
Moto2 Records
- Most wins in the Moto2 Class: 16.
- Most podium finishes in a single Moto2 season: 14.
- Most wins in a single Moto2 season: 9.
125cc Records
- Most pole positions in a 125cc World Championship season: 12.
Overall Grand Prix Records
- Youngest rider to win 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 World Championship titles across all classes.
- Youngest rider in Grand Prix history to achieve 50, 60, 70, and 80 wins.
- Most pole positions in Grand Prix history: 94.
- Youngest rider to win 5 races in a row (in 125cc).
- Most wins as a teenager across all classes: 26.
- Youngest rider to win at least 1 race in 3 different Grand Prix classes.
- All-time wins leader at the Circuit of the Americas: 7.
- Most consecutive wins at the Circuit of the Americas (2013-2018): 6.
- Most consecutive pole positions at the Circuit of the Americas: 7.
- Only rider in history to win 8, 9, 10, and 11 times consecutively at the same circuit: Sachsenring.
- Most consecutive wins at Sachsenring Circuit: 11.
- Most consecutive pole positions at Sachsenring Circuit: 10.
- Most consecutive wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: 5.
- Only rider in history to win 5 times at the Misano Circuit.
Marc's Life Outside Racing
Marc Márquez has won many championships. But he has always chosen to use his racing number #93 instead of the number 1. The 93 is the year he was born. You can see it on his bike and merchandise.
His father, Julià, often travels with him to races. His younger brother, Álex Márquez, is also a world champion motorcycle racer. Álex won the Moto3 class in 2014 and the Moto2 class in 2019. Marc and Álex were the first brothers to win world championships in the same season. They did it again in 2019.
.jpg)
Marc speaks Catalan, Spanish, English, and Italian. He lives in his hometown of Cervera. He says it's a great place for training on dirt bikes. His official fan club is also in Cervera. It's run by his uncle Ramón. There's even an exhibition in the town museum with his championship-winning bikes.
Marc's symbol since 2012 has been the Ant. You can see it on his gloves, helmets, and team pit boards. He got this nickname because when he started racing, he was very small. His team had to add extra weight to his bikes. The ant is a small animal but can carry 100 times its own weight. This is like Marc, who is small but very strong on the track.
As of October 2018, Marc had almost 4 million followers on Facebook. This made him one of the most popular athletes in Spain. Marc is a Roman Catholic. He met Pope Francis at the Vatican in September 2018. He is also a fan of the football club FC Barcelona.
Marc was featured in a 2023 TV show called Marc Márquez: ALL IN. This five-episode series showed his journey to recover from his career-halting injury.
More About Marc
In Spanish: Marc Márquez para niños
- List of motorcycle Grand Prix wins by Marc Márquez
