Rookie motorbike racer Marc Marquez is 2013 MotoGP champion

Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez of Spain capped the 2013 MotoGP season in the best way possible by clinching the championship titles for both himself in his rookie season and Honda at the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix.

Marquez started the race in pole position but was quickly passed by Yamaha Racing rider and 2012 champion Jorge Lorenzo and Repsol Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa. Though contact between Lorenzo and Pedrosa on the 10th lap dropped both riders\' position in the race to briefly give Marquez the lead, the latter was passed by Lorenzo a lap later while Pedrosa overtook his teammate with just five laps to go to the checkered flag. This relegated Marquez to third once more, and that was all he needed to finish the race and claim the 2013 MotoGP World Championship by wrapping up the season four points ahead of Lorenzo.

Marquez\'s season-ending triumph makes him the first rookie champion since Kenny Roberts in 1978, and the youngest-ever MotoGP champion at just 20 years and 266 days old.

\"It was a really long race, maybe the longest of my career,\" Marquez said after the race. \"Jorge had a very good start, as usual, and I wasn\'t sure which tactic to take. I followed Jorge and Dani and began to settle into the race. Then toward the end, I decided not to push as I knew my position was secure and safe to take the championship. It has been a fantastic year. I am still in a dream! I really didn’t expect this at the beginning, and I am really so very happy.\"

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