MotoGP 2014 Monster Energy Grand Prix of France: Marquez’s record-breaking race

Is there anything that the phenom can’t do?

Starting on pole for the 5th time in as many races this season, Marc Marquez was looking as dominating as ever. Starting alongside the Spaniard is countryman Pol Espargaro, who is starting from his best grid position yet. Andrea Dovizioso is 3rd on the grid, and German Stefan Bradl, Valentino Rossi, and Jorge Lorenzo line up 4th, 5th, and 6th respectively.

As the red lights went out, Dovizioso out dragged everyone into turn 1 and made it stick. Bradl and Rossi likewise had fantastic starts. Marc Marquez found himself going backwards in position after the first corner. He just had a bad start, and it seemed that he would finish off the podium for the first time this year. By the end of the 2nd lap Marquez was 10th!

Fan favorite Valentino Rossi overtook Bradl by the 3rd lap and began to hound Dovizioso for the lead.  On lap 4 Rossi made the move stick to take P1, with fan elation following. But one could sense that Marquez was not to be hampered by his poor start. He quietly went about the business of picking off his opponents one at a time. By lap 4, he was up to 6th and he was not done yet. On lap 6, Marquez set his sights on Lorenzo, and got him before the Dunlop chicane. Marc was now up to 4^th.

As all the action was going on behind him, Rossi kept on riding, but it was evident to everyone watching that Marquez would be fighting for the lead before the end of the race. And on lap 12 he did. Marquez moved past Rossi after Vale made a mistake and ran wide. Now there was nothing in front of Marquez but the checkered flag.

The phenom took the flag with a 1.4 second lead over eventual 2nd placer Valentino Rossi and Alvaro Bautista took the last step and his best result in his career in the premier class.

Marquez now leads the championship with 125 points. Behind him is team mate Dani Pedrosa with 83, and Valentino Rossi with 81 points. Marquez has now won five races in a row and becomes the youngest ever to do so, surpassing the record of Mike Hailwood. He has also equaled the record of the great Giacomo Agostini by winning the first five races of the season. Add to that winning five successive MotoGP races, the first since Rossi did it back in 2008. And finally, being the first to win five straight races from pole position since Mick Doohan back in 1997.

Equally impressive was Valentino Rossi making his 150th podium appearance in 299 races in his MotoGP career.

The teams now move over to Mugello for the next race. This is Rossi’s home track and fans will be all out to support the local boy, but will there be anybody brave enough to bet against Marquez winning his 6th race in a row?

Whatever the result, it will surely be epic!