4. MARC MARQUEZ (MotoGP)
Marc Marquez has impressed MotoGP observers all year with his speed and aggression in his rookie campaign, one which looks set to end with the biggest prize of all, but Malaysia saw a different side to the 20 year old hot shot.
On Saturday, despite a rain shower prior to Q2, Marquez didn’t take a backward step and was rewarded with his eighth pole position of the year but with perfect conditions for race day, Dani Pedrosa was too strong for his young teammate. Marquez had a feisty early fight with Jorge Lorenzo which resulted in contact between the two, not for the first time this year, but once he had cleared the Yamaha, Marquez’s mind-set changed.
Pedrosa was only a second and a half up the road but with the championship looming closer and closer, Marc chose to play the percentages and settle for second. Many a rookie would have thrown caution to the wind in an attempt to chase a victory but the mature Marquez was looking at the bigger picture, a picture which could depict him as MotoGP world champion in a week’s time.
(Photo Credit: Repsol Honda)