Spanish ace Marc Marquez clinched a fourth MotoGP world title on Sunday to join an elite club of riders after finishing third at a tense season-ending Valencia Grand Prix. Honda's Marquez held a commanding 21-point lead in the championship from Ducati rival Andrea Dovizioso, and was guaranteed the title with a top-11 finish or if Dovizioso failed to win the race.
Dovizioso's fate was sealed when the early season pace-setter crashed out five laps from the end as Marquez ultimately won the championship by 37 points. Marquez's Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa won the race from France's Johann Zarco in second. At just 24, a highly mature Marquez is the youngest ever rider to win four premier class world titles after just five seasons in MotoGP - adding to two other world championships at lower levels.
He drew level with British trio Mike Hailwood, Geoff Duke and John Surtees, and American Eddie Lawson as one of just five riders to triumph four times at the top level. Only three men - Giacomo Agostini (eight), Valentino Rossi (seven) and Mick Doohan (five) - have won the premier category championship more often than Marquez. Starting from pole, Marquez waved Zarco through on the fourth lap to rule out any chance of an untimely early crash.