INDIANAPOLIS: World champion Marc Marquez became the first man in 17 years to win 10 consecutive MotoGP races when he rode to a comfortable victory at Indianapolis on Sunday.

Not since Australian Mick Doohan won 10 in a row in 1997 had a rider put together that long a streak.

Marquez also shattered the series’ previous record for the youngest driver to win 10 in a row. Mike Hailwood was 24 years and 86 days old when he did it in 1964. Marquez is 21 years, 174 days.

The Repsol Honda rider completed Indy’s reconfigured 27 laps (112.6km) in 42 minutes, 7.041 seconds, 1.803 seconds ahead of compatriot Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha).

Italian Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) was 6.558 seconds back in third place, with Spaniard Dani Pedrosa (Honda) fourth in an action-packed race that featured several crashes.

Marquez gave up four spots with a bad start, and then rallied to take the lead before giving it right back. Seven-time MotoGP world champion Rossi grabbed an early lead from the pole-sitter and stayed ahead of fellow Italian, Andrea Dovizioso and Marquez.

Marquez moved into second place with 21 laps to go, with Lorenzo third before the champion snatched the lead with 16 laps remaining and nobody got close to him again.

“The start I got today was not so good,” said Marquez. “But then the track temperature was higher and that changed the feeling a little bit, especially with the front tire.”

Marquez also increased his lead in the 2014 standings, picking up 25 points to improve to a perfect 250 points for the season.

Published in Dawn, Aug 12th, 2014