Marc Marquez - 2013 MotoGP World Champion

The 20-year-old from Cervera, Spain, is the youngest ever premier class championship winner, eclipsing the previous mark set by Freddie Spencer, who won the World Championship as a 21-year-old in 1983, Marquez's debut-year title also makes him the first rookie to win the premier class championship since Kenny Roberts back in 1978.

Marquez is still a relative newcomer to world championship racing, only making his debut in the 125cc World Championship in 2008. From there, the outrageously-talented Marquez has won championships in 125cc (2010) and Moto2 (2012). Stepping up to the MotoGP championship this year, and causing in no small part a rule change that allowed him to ride for a full factory team in his rookie year (normally rookies had to start their premier class season with a satellite team), Marquez was expected to be an excitement machine, but few would have tipped him for the championship in his debut year.

Within a few rounds, Marquez had proved the doubters wrong, winning races and showing no fear against the exalted and experienced company he was up against. By mid-season, he was a genuine championship threat, and given a strong chance of tasting glory in his debut year head of the flyaway rounds at Malaysia, Australia and Japan. In fact, prior to these final few rounds, Marquez had finished on the podium of every race he had completed, winning six, including a four-race streak from Sachsenring (Rd 8) to Brno (Rd11).

Undoubtedly, Marquez's cause was aided by accidents and injury to Lorenzo and his Repsol Honda team mate, Dani Pedrosa, but no-one could argue that the rookie was a deserving winner.

He is the third Spaniard to claim the ultimate honour, after Alex Criville (1999) and Jorge Lorenzo (2010, 2012), and has won the titles of all three classes across just four years.

Marc Marquez fast facts
At the age of 20 years and 266 days, Marquez is the youngest rider of all-time to win the world title in the premier class, taking the record from Freddie Spencer who was 21 years and 258 days of age when he won the 500 title in 1983, also riding a Honda

Marquez is just the fourth rider in the 65-year history of Grand Prix racing to win world titles in three different categories, along with: Mike Hailwood, Phil Read and Valentino Rossi
Marquez has finished in the top three 16 times in 2013 - the greatest number of podium finishes ever by a rookie in the premier class.

He has qualified on pole position nine times in 2013 - the greatest number of pole positions ever by a rookie in the premier class.

At the second race of 2013 he became the youngest ever winner of a premier class Grand Prix race (20 years, 63 days) and the youngest rider to start from pole; Freddie Spencer had held both records since 1982.
His points total of 334 is the greatest number of points ever achieved in a rookie season in the premier class.

MotoGP Career:
2008: 125 World Championship - 13th position on KTM, 13 starts, 63 points
2009: 125 World Championship - 8th position on KTM, 16 starts, 94 points
2010: 125 World Championship - WORLD CHAMPION on Derbi, 17 starts, 310 points
2011: Moto2™ World Championship - 2nd position on Suter, 13 starts, 251 points
2012: Moto2™ World Championship - WORLD CHAMPION on Suter, 17 starts, 324 points
2013: MotoGP™ World Championship - WORLD CHAMPION on Honda, 18 starts, 334 points

Biography
Date of birth: 17th February 1993
Place of birth: Cervera, Spain
First Grand Prix: Qatar 2008, 125
First pole position: France 2009, 125
First podium finish: Great Britain 2008, 125
First Grand Prix victory: Italy 2010, 125
Grand Prix starts: 96
Grand Prix victories: 32
Podium finishes: 55
Pole positions: 37
Fastest race laps: 27

Images: motogp.com