Marc Marquez Clinches 8th MotoGP World Championship in Thailand

Spanish sensation Marc Marquez fended off a spirited attack from French rider Fabio Quartararo. Pole man Quartararo led for much of the race while Marquez hounded him all the way. No matter where he finished, Marc Marquez would have won the world championship. However, he wanted to go out on a high note, so on the last lap, he struck and made the move stick.

Quartararo’s Yamaha did most of the donkey work, and once his tyres were shot, he was vulnerable. However, he was not giving up without a fight and stuck to the back of Marquez. On the final two corners, Quartararo fought back and passed Marc Marquez, though he could not make the move stick.

He went wide and the Spaniard got him back on the cut back to take the win and his 8th world championship. Meanwhile, in a lonely third place was factory Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales. Marquez’s closest championship rival, Andrea Dovizioso, could only manage 4th fastest.

The Spaniard seized the title, barely 48 hour after suffering a bad crash in the opening practice session. Undoubtedly, Marc Marquez will be delighted to grab yet another would championship and edge closer to Valentino Rossi, who is on 9 world championships.

Obviously, Fabio Quartararo will be disappointed to not have a maiden win in his rookie MotoGP season. However, there are still a few races left on the calendar and his satellite team has been outperforming the factory team.

This season, Marquez has the potential to beat his personal best of 362 points for the season. The previous record is held by his teammate Jorge Lorenzo, on 383 points, with 100 points up for grabs. Speaking of Lorenzo, the 2-time world champion has struggled to keep up with Marquez this season. Admittedly, the 32-year old has not been the same rider ever since he picked up a few injuries.