Marquez pots the eight ball!
The Spanish phenomenon has won his sixth MotoGP title – and his eighth overall – after a brilliant victory in ThailandMarc Marquez was crowned the 2019 MotoGP World Champion in Thailand on October 6 in the only way he knows how: with a thrilling race win delivered at the final corner, this time over Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo.
Marques now has six MotoGP titles for Honda – now one more than Aussie great Mick Doohan – to add to his earlier titles in the 125cc and Moto2 ranks.
“I’m so happy. When you have an advantage like I had you realise you are so close to the championship but you need to find something to keep you motivated,” said Marquez.
“Today it was winning the race and it’s what I did. Fabio was so fast during the race but I never gave up, even during the middle of the race where it looked like he was escaping.
“It was a beautiful way to win the championship – even if I wasn’t thinking about it on the last lap! Arriving in parc ferme with the whole Repsol Honda team there was fantastic; it’s a dream to do it with the whole fan club and the nice celebration.
“Every year is special, it’s not easy to keep everything perfect each year to fight for the title and I had a very hard winter with the injury but myself, the team and HRC managed it well. Now we’ll enjoy this feeling a little bit!”
From the front of the grid, Marquez charged forward and immediately began to chase polesitter Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). With his only title rival, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati), a distant fourth, Marquez was able to focus solely on the race win.
After trading fastest laps, the pair settled into their rhythm and Marquez waited for his moment to attack. The final laps were explosive as Marquez launched an all-out assault on the young French rider, moving ahead as the last lap began.
But it would go down to the final corner, Marquez defending from Quartararo in the last corner to take the 2019 crown in style.
Maverick Vinales (Movistar Yamaha) was third in Thailand, ahead of Dovizioso, Alex Rins (Suzuki Ecstar), Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar), Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha), Danilo Petrucci (Ducati) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda).
Australia’s Jack Miller (Pramac Ducati) was 14th after stalling on the grid and starting from pit lane.
Marquez by the numbers
- He has won at least five GPs in the premier class across the last seven consecutive years, beating the record previously held by Valentino Rossi (2001 to 2006) and Giacomo Agostini (1967 – 1972), who each won at least five premier class GPs in six consecutive years
- He holds the outright premier class pole position record of 61 poles
- With nine MotoGP wins, Marquez was won more MotoGP races than any other rider this season. He has also scored the most podiums (14) and taken the most poles (nine) in 2019
- He has won 17 per cent of all MotoGP races held since 2002
- Most Premier-class titles by a 26-year old
- Youngest six-time premier class champion – 26 years and 231 days
- Youngest rider to take eight world championships – 26 years and 231 days
- He is one of only three riders to have taken six or more premier class world championships alongside Valentino Rossi (7) and Giacomo Agostini (8)
- He is one of only six riders to have claimed eight or more world championships across all classes alongside Carlo Ubbiali (9), Mike Hailwood (9), Valentino Rossi (9), Angel Nieto (13) and Giacomo Agostini (15)
- He has taken all of his MotoGP titles on Honda machinery
- He is the most successful Honda rider in the premier class with six World championships, moving ahead of Aussie Mick Doohan (5)
Meanwhile, Australia’s Remy Gardner was 12th in the Moto2 race, won by Luca Marini ahead of Brad Binder and Iker Lecuona.
The 2019 MotoGP title resumes in Japan from October 18-20, and then it's the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island from October 25-27.
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