Márquez absorbs achievement of maiden win

Marc Márquez rode a fantastic race at the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM on Sunday to take first place in the 125cc contest, finishing ahead of Championship leader Nico Terol and Pol Espargaró to secure the first World Championship win of his career.

At just 17 the Red Bull Ajo Motorsport rider’s talent hints that there will be many more victories to come, and he started to take in the achievement following the race by stating: “I’m very happy with this first victory because it’s the most important one in the career for a rider in the World Championship.”

Márquez and last year’s Mugello winner Bradley Smith duelled in the early stages of the race, and the pair then caught and became involved in a tactical battle with Terol and Espargaró from lap nine onwards. Márquez eventually crossed the line in first place, with just 0.161s separating the quartet.

“The race was very hard because in the first part Nico and Pol went out, and I had to catch them step by step,” he said. “At the end of the race it was more about strategy than being fast. The last straight was very, very long because the line felt like it would never arrive! But in the end we crossed it first and took the first victory in the World Championship.”

The youngster’s achievement was made all the more impressive given that it was only his second race after dislocating a shoulder in a fall at Jerez five weeks earlier. Márquez bounced back at the last round at Le Mans with his second podium of the season (third place), and is now third in the Championship standings with 57 points.

“I was thinking about my sponsors, my family, all the people who have given me this opportunity,” added Márquez. “If we continue in this manner we can have a good World Championship this year.”