Marc Márquez Wins the 2013 Indianapolis MotoGP at the Brickyard
Marc Márquez dominated the 2013 Indianapolis MotoGP at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, recovering from a poor start to beat teammate Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo. The Repsol Honda rookie completed a remarkable weekend by leading every session and claiming his third consecutive MotoGP victory.
The result strengthened Márquez's position at the top of the 2013 MotoGP championship. He left Indianapolis with a 21-point advantage over Pedrosa and a 35-point lead over Lorenzo.
- Winner: Marc Márquez
- Second: Dani Pedrosa
- Third: Jorge Lorenzo
- Circuit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Race distance: 27 laps
- Winning time: 44:52.463
- Fastest lap: Marc Márquez, 1:39.044
- Championship leader: Marc Márquez
Table of Contents
- A Historic Track Meets a Rising Star
- Race Day: Márquez Takes Control
- Pedrosa's Late Charge for Second
- Lorenzo's Podium Frustration
- Rossi's Fightback From Ninth
- Hayden and Dovizioso's Last-Corner Drama
- 2013 Indianapolis MotoGP Full Results
- MotoGP Championship Standings After Indianapolis
- What the Indianapolis Result Meant for the Title Race
- FAQ: 2013 Indianapolis MotoGP
A Historic Track Meets a Rising Star
Indianapolis Motor Speedway has one of the richest histories in motorsport. The venue hosted its first motorcycle race in 1909, while MotoGP eventually arrived at the famous Brickyard in 2008.
The 2013 Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix was Round 10 of the MotoGP season and opened a demanding three-race stretch that continued at Brno and Silverstone.
Heading into Indianapolis, 20-year-old rookie Marc Márquez was already leading the championship for Repsol Honda. He had also won at the circuit in both 2011 and 2012 in Moto2, giving him an impressive record at the Brickyard before making his MotoGP debut there.
Márquez then produced a remarkable weekend. He led every session, secured pole position and set the fastest race lap on his way to victory. It was one of the most complete weekends of his breakthrough 2013 rookie campaign.
Race Day: Márquez Takes Control
Márquez started the 27-lap race from pole position but immediately lost ground.
Jorge Lorenzo made the best launch and took the lead, while Dani Pedrosa moved ahead of Márquez. The three Spanish riders remained closely matched during the opening laps.
Márquez made his first major move on lap nine, passing Lorenzo. He then overtook teammate Pedrosa on lap 13 to take control of the race.
Once in front, Márquez began to increase his advantage. He set the fastest lap of the race at 1:39.044 and eventually crossed the finish line 3.495 seconds ahead of Pedrosa.
The victory was Márquez's third consecutive MotoGP win after victories at Sachsenring and Laguna Seca. It also completed a perfect Indianapolis weekend in which he led every session.
His victory at Laguna Seca had been another major step in his rookie campaign. Read the full 2013 Laguna Seca MotoGP race recap.
Pedrosa's Late Charge for Second
Dani Pedrosa spent much of the race fighting Jorge Lorenzo for the final podium positions.
The Repsol Honda rider was still recovering from a fractured collarbone suffered earlier in the season, but he produced a strong finish.
With the race entering its closing stages, Pedrosa closed in on Lorenzo. He finally made his move with two laps remaining, passing the Yamaha rider to secure second place.
The result gave Repsol Honda a one-two finish and reduced the damage in the championship battle. Pedrosa left Indianapolis 21 points behind Márquez.
Lorenzo's Podium Frustration
Jorge Lorenzo started second and made a superb getaway to take the early lead.
The reigning World Champion remained in contention during the first half of the race, but he could not match Márquez's pace once the Honda rider moved ahead.
Pedrosa's late charge then dropped Lorenzo to third.
The podium was still a valuable result, particularly considering Lorenzo's ongoing physical problems, but it left him 35 points behind championship leader Márquez after Round 10.
Rossi's Fightback From Ninth
Valentino Rossi faced a difficult starting position after qualifying ninth, but the Yamaha rider delivered one of the strongest recoveries of the race.
Rossi moved through the field and battled with several riders before reaching fourth place.
He finished just 0.060 seconds ahead of Cal Crutchlow, who completed fifth. Rossi's fourth-place finish was particularly notable because he had started from the third row.
The result also gave Yamaha two riders inside the top four, with Lorenzo third and Rossi fourth.
Hayden and Dovizioso's Last-Corner Drama
One of the most dramatic moments came during the fight for ninth place between Ducati teammates Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso.
The two riders battled throughout the closing stages. Bradley Smith was also close enough to take advantage of any mistake.
At the final corner, Hayden and Dovizioso ran wide while fighting each other. Smith slipped through to take eighth place, leaving Hayden ninth and Dovizioso tenth.
Hayden finished only 0.011 seconds behind Smith, while Dovizioso was a further 0.122 seconds behind his teammate.
2013 Indianapolis MotoGP Full Results
The 2013 Indianapolis MotoGP was contested over 27 laps. Márquez won in 44:52.463, with Pedrosa 3.495 seconds behind and Lorenzo 5.704 seconds behind the winner.
| Pos. | Rider | Team | Bike | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Márquez | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | 44:52.463 |
| 2 | Dani Pedrosa | Repsol Honda Team | Honda | +3.495 |
| 3 | Jorge Lorenzo | Yamaha Factory Racing | Yamaha | +5.704 |
| 4 | Valentino Rossi | Yamaha Factory Racing | Yamaha | +19.895 |
| 5 | Cal Crutchlow | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | +19.955 |
| 6 | Álvaro Bautista | GO&FUN Honda Gresini | Honda | +20.061 |
| 7 | Stefan Bradl | LCR Honda MotoGP | Honda | +24.842 |
| 8 | Bradley Smith | Monster Yamaha Tech 3 | Yamaha | +40.690 |
| 9 | Nicky Hayden | Ducati Team | Ducati | +40.701 |
| 10 | Andrea Dovizioso | Ducati Team | Ducati | +40.823 |
| 11 | Andrea Iannone | Energy T.I. Pramac Racing | Ducati | +59.668 |
| 12 | Aleix Espargaró | Power Electronics Aspar | ART | +1:06.650 |
| 13 | Colin Edwards | NGM Mobile Forward Racing | FTR Kawasaki | +1:09.462 |
| 14 | Claudio Corti | NGM Mobile Forward Racing | FTR Kawasaki | +1:15.207 |
| 15 | Hiroshi Aoyama | Avintia Blusens | FTR | +1:20.159 |
| 16 | Héctor Barberá | Avintia Blusens | FTR | +1:25.879 |
| 17 | Danilo Petrucci | Came IodaRacing Project | Ioda-Suter | +1:29.616 |
| 18 | Michael Laverty | Paul Bird Motorsport | PBM | +1:36.388 |
| 19 | Bryan Staring | GO&FUN Honda Gresini | FTR Honda | +1 lap |
Retirements: Yonny Hernández, Lukáš Pešek, Randy de Puniet, and Blake Young.
Did not start: Ben Spies and Karel Abraham.
MotoGP Championship Standings After Indianapolis
Márquez's victory strengthened his position at the top of the 2013 MotoGP championship.
| Pos. | Rider | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marc Márquez | 188 | 4 |
| 2 | Dani Pedrosa | 167 | 2 |
| 3 | Jorge Lorenzo | 153 | 3 |
| 4 | Valentino Rossi | 130 | 1 |
| 5 | Cal Crutchlow | 127 | 0 |
Márquez held a 21-point lead over Pedrosa and a 35-point advantage over Lorenzo after the Indianapolis round.
What the Indianapolis Result Meant for the Title Race
The Indianapolis victory changed the shape of the 2013 championship battle.
Márquez had now won three MotoGP races in succession and continued to build confidence during his rookie season. His advantage over Pedrosa was already significant, while Lorenzo faced the additional challenge of racing while recovering from injury.
The next round was the 2013 Brno MotoGP, where Márquez arrived with a 21-point championship advantage.
One week after Indianapolis, Márquez won again at Brno, extending his championship lead. The season then moved to the 2013 Silverstone MotoGP as the title battle intensified.
The later rounds included the 2013 MotoGP Round 14 and the 2013 Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang.
The championship was eventually decided at the 2013 Valencia MotoGP season finale, where Márquez secured the MotoGP World Championship and became the youngest premier-class champion at the time.
FAQ: 2013 Indianapolis MotoGP
Who won the 2013 Indianapolis MotoGP?
Marc Márquez won the 2013 Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix for Repsol Honda. He finished 3.495 seconds ahead of teammate Dani Pedrosa, with Jorge Lorenzo third.
What was Marc Márquez's championship lead after Indianapolis?
Márquez led Dani Pedrosa by 21 points and Jorge Lorenzo by 35 points after the Indianapolis race. He had 188 championship points compared with 167 for Pedrosa and 153 for Lorenzo.
How many laps were in the 2013 Indianapolis MotoGP?
The MotoGP race was contested over 27 laps of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Márquez completed the race in 44:52.463.
Who finished second and third at Indianapolis in 2013?
Dani Pedrosa finished second, and Jorge Lorenzo finished third behind race winner Marc Márquez.
What happened between Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso?
Hayden and Dovizioso battled for ninth place during the closing stages. They ran wide together at the final corner, allowing Bradley Smith to pass them and take eighth. Hayden finished ninth and Dovizioso tenth.
Where was the 2013 Indianapolis MotoGP held?
The race was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana, using the circuit's road-course layout. MotoGP first raced at Indianapolis in 2008.
Was the 2013 Indianapolis MotoGP Márquez's first MotoGP win at the circuit?
Yes. Márquez had previously won at Indianapolis in Moto2 in 2011 and 2012, but his 2013 victory was his first premier-class win at the circuit.
Related 2013 MotoGP Articles
- 2013 Laguna Seca MotoGP – Márquez takes another major victory before Indianapolis.
- 2013 Brno MotoGP – Márquez continues his winning streak in the Czech Republic.
- 2013 Silverstone MotoGP – The championship battle continues in Britain.
- 2013 MotoGP Round 14 – Follow the championship as the season enters its final stages.
- 2013 Malaysian MotoGP – Results and key moments from the Sepang round.
- 2013 MotoGP Round 16 – Another crucial round in the 2013 championship.
- 2013 MotoGP Round 17 – The penultimate stage of Márquez's championship campaign.
- 2013 Valencia MotoGP – Márquez and Lorenzo battle in the season finale as the title is decided.
What was your favorite moment from the 2013 Indianapolis MotoGP? Share your memories of Marc Márquez's dominant rookie-season victory in the comments.