Marc Márquez will make the step up to MotoGP next season, replacing former World Champion Casey Stoner at the Repsol Honda squad. The Spaniard, who is currently leading the Moto2 class by 43 points, will partner current rider Dani Pedrosa.
Following Stoner's decision to retire at the end of this season, speculation arose as to who would take the Australian's place. Márquez, a Honda protege, was linked with the ride, but the previous rookie ruling initially left him out of the running. When that regulation was changed, his promotion was almost inevitable.
"To reach MotoGP next season with Repsol Honda is a dream come true and I want to thank HRC for their confidence in me," said 20-year-old Márquez, who claimed the 125cc class title back in 2010. "I am very proud to be a part of the big Honda family for the future and I don’t want to forget all the people have helped me since I began to ride motorbikes.
"Now my focus is on Moto2 where my team and I are working very hard and we are excited to achieve our goal, which is to win the World Championship in 2012."
Shuehei Nakamoto, HRC Executive Vice President, was delighted with the outcome and is expecting Márquez to shine in the top echelon of motorcycle racing.
"We are very pleased to renew our contract with Dani and welcome Marc to the Repsol Honda Team," Nakamoto explained after the line-up was announced. "Dani is enjoying a very strong season and currently fighting with Casey and (Jorge) Lorenzo for the Championship, we are very pleased with his performance.
"Marc has already proved how fast he is in 125cc and Moto2, and we believe that, giving him the right time to adapt to the new class, he will also be able to show this in MotoGP in the future."
Series
MotoGP
Personalities
Dani Pedrosa
Marc Marquez
Teams
Repsol Honda Team
Other
Get your official MotoGP tickets at Sportstadium.com
| Marc Marquez | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
| More Marc Marquez photos | |||
| Dani Pedrosa | |||
 |  | |  |
| More Dani Pedrosa photos | |||
English
Nederlands
Español
Italiano
