How will Marquez do in 2013?

Marc Marquez is a special talent. He is a double World Champion at the tender age of 19, and is now filling the void left by whom many claim the fastest rider they’ve ever seen, Casey Stoner, but if there is one person capable of doing it, its Marquez.

2010 125cc World Champion, 2011 Moto2 runner up, and 2012 World Champion. That’s the CV that Marc Marquez boasts heading into the Repsol Honda team for 2013.

The most impressive thing about Marc Marquez is despite not only winning the class, it is the manner in which he has done it.  He hasn’t scraped second and thirds, waited for others to crash. He has pulverized them.

Many haters had philosophies from a special Honda engine to race direction making special rules as to try and explain why Marc was winning races so dominantly. Although the seemed to forget one thing, which is the reason. He is just that good.

Not more amply demonstrated on not only one but two occasions this season. In Motegi Marc wasn’t in gear despite starting from second position, he went into the first corner in 28th position, despite this set back, he caught, and overtook the leader Pol Espargaro, and went on to win the race.

As if heading into the first corner wasn’t impressive enough, in Valencia, Marquez after a incident in free practice was ordered to start from the back of the grid come race day.

What followed next was an exhibition in how to race motorcycles. Cutting through the field, placing himself in perfect positions to overtake rivals. (watch below) Starting from last position he made up no fewer than 21 positions by turn 4.

He contuined to overtake and catch rivals, before eventually catching and passing run away leaders Nico Terol and Julian Simon.  He went on to comfortably win the race, just asserting even more what a dominant World Champion he is.

But MotoGP is a whole new level.

Whilst a spectacular rider and racer, Marc Marquez has a ruthless streak in him. Yes you have to be ruthless and a killer on the track to make moves, pass, progress, but at times critics have said Marc doesn’t use his brain often enough, being caught up in crashes and incidents which he doesn’t need to be doing.

This has again been evident this season with reckless moves in practice on Mika Kallio and Simone Corsi. And many believe that pulling such stunts in MotoGP will severely hamper his cause.

However what nobody can doubt is that Marquez has speed, frightening speed. HRC also have faith in the young Spaniard, not only demonstrated by putting Marquez on the bike, but also Honda Racing Cooperation Vice President  Nakamoto San said “Marc has a great talent but MotoGP is not easy. Need some experience but I hope he is in a position to win races even in its first year’s What I hope.” Not expecting much then…

The general consensus in the paddock of what Marc will produce in MotoGP next season is something similar to what Jorge Lorenzo was like in his first season, fast but struggling to find the limit. A pole position or two, a podium and maybe a win, but in there HRC will be spending a large chunk of their budget on replacing fairings and parts on the number 93.

We have already seen this season that Marc rides exceedingly close to the limit and he has been caught on camera more than once this season saving, and pushing a crash but up from his knee. Can he do it with a 1000cc MotoGP bike? Well that remains to be seen.

Despite resounding endorsements from HRC big guns Marquez will have his work cut out next season, but with Casey Stoner hanging up his leathers there is a definite space on the podium, and HRC’s expectations aren’t unrealistic or beyond the realms of possibility.

With the rain in Spain it appears we will be robbed the chance to see Marc in action on camera after Nakamoto confirmed he wouldn’t be going out in the wet. Despite this HRC and Honda have a test at Sepang at the end of the month in which Marquez will indefinitely get his first bite at the RC213V cherry, and I will be looking at his lap times with more than a keen eye.

How do you think Marquez will do not only in his first season, in MotoGP in general?