Four-time MotoGP world champion and Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez got behind the wheel of Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 race car at the Red Bull Ring.
Marc Marquez and his teammate Dani Pedrosa took to the wheel of a 2012-spec RB8 Formula 1 car. According to a statement released by Red Bull, both Spanish riders performed a series of testing procedures on a virtual-reality simulator before tackling the real deal.
The show run was to promote upcoming F1 and MotoGP races at the Spielberg circuit.
He was advised by former Red Bull F1 racer Mark Webber and was watched by retired triple champion Niki Lauda. Later Marquez said his focus remained only on two wheelers for the next couple of years atleast.
After completing a few laps, Marquez said, “It was always my dream to race the quickest cars in the world. I had great respect for it ahead of today, and I didn’t sleep well. In the end it was an unbelievable experience, and an absolute highlight of my career.
“There is a massive difference to MotoGP. The limited visibility was a great challenge, in particular, to begin with. You feel a lot more constricted in the cockpit. The braking distances and timing in turns is completely different. A Formula 1 car has much more downforce, of course, which made for a lot of fun in the part of the circuit with the most turns, in particular.”
READ: Lorenzo to replace Pedrosa and join Marquez at Repsol Honda
And does he see a career in four-wheel racing in the future? “My complete focus in the coming years will remain on MotoGP. I’m part of a fantastic team, and I feel fully motivated. Who knows though, maybe Formula 1 will be a serious idea for me in a few years’ time,” Marquez added.
Webber was impressed by Marquez’s exploits and said his job as an instructor was easy due to Marquez’s focus.
“He was really quiet still at breakfast. As soon as he got into the cockpit, he was 100 per cent focused and delivered a top performance on the race track. Formula 1 and MotoGP are two completely different things. Marc made my job as an instructor very easy though. He always asked the right questions and improved lap by lap,” Webber added.
Marquez is sixth on the list of all-time Grand Prix motorcycle race wins with a tally of 64 from 125cc up to MotoGP itself. He currently leads the 2018 standings with three wins from the first six races.
Other MotoGP rivals who have taken to an F1 car in the past include Valentino Rossi with Ferrari and Jorge Lorenzo for Mercedes, while Fernando Alonso made the switch in the other direction to test Marquez’s 2015 bike.
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