Marc Marquez celebrates in style as footage emerges from championship party
Quiles celebrated with style (Credit: Red Bull Content Pool)
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Connor Andrews is Formula 1 and MotoGP writer for GPblog and various outlets. Having worked in motorsport for 15 years for leading companies, he has interviewed the sports biggest names and attended multiple Grands Prix.
Given how often he wins, Marc Marquez is unsurprisingly just as skilled at partying.
However, on this occasion the nine-time champion wasn’t celebrating his own success, but that of his first prodigy.
Last time out at the Indonesian Grand Prix, Maximo Quiles clinched the Moto3 world championship with five races to go.
The 18-year-old already looks like a future MotoGP rider, and he had to pay some thanks to his mentor Marquez.
The motorsport legend signed the Spanish youngster to his management company, Vertical, and has been supporting his journey to the world championship.
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So when Quiles crossed the line as the race winner and new champion at Mandalika, it was no surprise to see Marc and his younger brother Alex there to greet him in joyous scenes.
As it’s now turned out that the celebrations didn’t end there.
Quiles celebrated with a play on his Maximo name (Credit: Red Bull Content Pool)
Marquez lifts young champion during lively celebrations
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Social media videos from a team party have shown a group singing Queen’s ‘We Are The Champions’, during which Marquez lifts the youngster onto his shoulders.
Chants of ‘Maximo’ then ring out, while another video appears to show the pair drinking celebratory shots together.
Quiles’ celebrations in Indonesia were already pretty special as he continued MotoGP’s long tradition of epic on-track shows.
Quiles celebrates Moto3 title with Gladiator tribute
Given the likeness of his name to the famous Gladiator film character Maximus, the Aspar Team rider took a helmet and shield around the track in a similar style with his title printed on the latter.
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Quiles is in just his second season in Moto3, having finished third last year, and he will continue with Aspar in Moto2 next year.
He had been on their’s and Marquez’s radar since the age of 14 when his talent was already outstanding.
Paying tribute to the brothers after his triumph, Quiles said: “They were so happy that I became champion and won the race. Thanks to them too, because they've helped me a lot with my mindset.
“When Marc arrived, he also helped me, both financially and mentally. They did it from the bottom of their hearts, and that’s something I really appreciate about them. It’s always special to make dreams come true together.
“He’s always been an idol. I’ve always tried to be like him, but different. I haven’t made that many mistakes in the past. He always tells me not to. It’s very special to have Marc and Alex by my side.”
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Marquez-backed talent tipped for future MotoGP success
Aspar team boss and former world championship rider Nicolas Terol told Marca: “He's able to adapt to any situation, whether it's dry, in the rain, with more grip, with less grip... He's also evolved tremendously as a person.
“At 14, he had that talent, but he was that kid who would get hysterical and nervous if he wasn't where he wanted to be. It wasn't easy to manage him. He's made a huge leap in maturity.”
He added: “What makes him special is his determination in races, how clear his desire is to blow them away, with all due respect.
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“It's the look I've seen in his eyes since I've had him here, or since JuniorGP, that says: 'I'm going to blow them away.' He goes out there convinced he's better. He wants to go out there, whatever the conditions, to be first.
The Marquez brothers celebrated the future Moto2 rider (Credit: Red Bull Content Pool)
“That self-confidence allows him to create that gap and make it count. Sometimes, though, it also works against him, because there are always difficult days in this world; like when he finds himself fifth or sixth, he goes through a moment of crisis. Then he resets very quickly, because things are coming too easily for him, and one day in his career, everything will turn upside down. And that's when he'll have to mature more.
“We're helping him mature, because in Moto2 there are more difficult days than good ones. That's still what we need to work on with him.”
Aspar have never won the Moto2 championship, but they’re convinced they can do so with Quiles.
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"It has to happen,” Terol said. “I see something in Moto2, which is also a dream, but we shouldn't chase it; we just have to give it our all to become world champions.
“We're in a very complete position as a team. It's not yet reflected in Dani (Holgado) and David (Alonso), because I think they deserve the title, but for one reason or another, they haven't had the luck.
“But this step will help Maximo in the future to have everything more balanced around him, and hopefully, it will be with him.”
Aspar believe Quiles could become MotoGP world champion
Even if Quiles doesn’t win in Moto2, Terol doesn’t see him sticking around in the second tier for long, and he may even be competing with mentor Marquez in the future.
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He explained: “He’ll be a star. I can see it because of the way he rides, the way he moves; he’s more of a Moto2 and MotoGP rider. He’s adapting to everything incredibly well.
“He can be a MotoGP champion; he has something special; he’s a killer. Anyway, I like to keep a low profile with him, especially because he’s in Marc Márquez’s environment. Holding him back is working, but he’s indeed another guy touched by magic, and he has to prove it, and that comes down to his work.”
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