The 2019 MotoGP World Champion and best motorcycle rider in the world paid the price for what the British refer to as “cheeky“.
The MotoGP circus is visiting the Sepang International Circuit this weekend. This is the penultimate round of the 2019 championship, with the final round taking place in Valencia. Mark Marquez wrapped the 2019 Championship 2 races-ago, at the Japanese Grand Prix. Which means the remaining races; Phillip Island, Sepang and Valencia are basically for “fun“.
Fun was exactly what he was having during today’s qualifying session. For the whole weekend, Fabio Quartararo, the young Frenchman, has set the pace. It is no secret that sometimes, in order to make the time, a slower rider will tuck behind a faster rider and follow him/her around.
Following someone around, so long as the rider following adheres to these rules, is acceptable; 1) Does not do this all of the time and 2) is slower than the other riders.
Rule #1 is pretty obvious, you don’t want to be towing someone around all of the time. This is racing after all, go and race. Hector Barbera was infamous for this. Rule #2 is a little tricky. If you are going to tow someone around, you do not want to be the asshole. You don’t want to be the rider doing all of the work at the front, only to lose time due to the tow. When you are being drafted, the rider in the front actually has to push through two aerodynamic barriers; the air in front and the air turbulence generated by the rider behind. This is why when questioned, a rider will say that they knew they were being drafted because suddenly they felt they were slowing down.
This brings us to Marc’s crash today. With only minutes to go, he decided to follow the pace-setter, Quartararo, for the two laps. Marc followed the Frenchman as soon as they exited pit lane for a tire-swap, and he did so in the most obnoxious of manners, beneath the World-Class rider he is. Beneath a World Champion. Why didn’t Marc go forward and make his own lap time only he knows. Perhaps this was payback from another session, or Marc was indeed so much slower than Fabio and needed the help, who knows. But the reason is beneath him. He should not have done it. He should not have followed him around. He should have done the lap on his own and may the chips fall where they will.
I realize some people will say, but wait he’s a killer, he wanted to win, he wanted to beat Fabio, blah, blah, blah. There is being a killer and there is cheating. World Champions do not follow other riders around, that is cheating. That is left to lesser-riders, it is beneath a rider of the caliber of Marquez.
I know he’s done it many times without consequences… sometimes the racing Gods say enough and make you pay.
