---
title: "MotoGP’s Marc Marquez Makes His Formula 1 Debut With Toro Rosso"
description: "The Spanish MotoGP world champion traded two wheels for four at the Red Bull Ring in Austria."
date: "2018-06-05"
modified: "2019-05-17"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/21340/motogps-marc-marquez-makes-his-formula-1-debut-with-toro-rosso"
categories:
  - "F1"
  - "News"
  - "Racing"
tags:
  - "Formula 1"
  - "Marc Márquez"
  - "MotoGP"
  - "red bull"
  - "Scuderia Toro Rosso"
  - "Toro Rosso"
---

# MotoGP’s Marc Marquez Makes His Formula 1 Debut With Toro Rosso

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/06/ap-1vvq6ur4d2111_news.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Four-time [MotoGP world champion](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/21314/marc-marquezs-motogp-championship-lead-shortens-after-mugello-snafu>) and Repsol Honda rider Marc Marquez got behind the wheel of a Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 race car at the Red Bull Ring on Tuesday. The energy drink company that [organized](<https://engagedchangesolutions.com/go-backwards-to-move-people-forward/>) the exhibition to promote the upcoming Formula 1 and MotoGP race, also sponsors the Repsol Honda MotoGP team and owns the Toro Rosso F1 outfit along with the Austrian race track where the event took place.

Marc Marquez and his teammate Dani Pedrosa abandoned their RC213V racing motorcycles and hopped behind the wheel of a 2012-spec RB8 Formula 1 car to see if they could perform on four wheels as good as they do on two. According to a statement released by Red Bull, both Spanish riders performed a series of testing procedures on a [virtual-reality simulator](<https://www.thedrive.com/video/6370/this-secret-12-000-per-day-race-car-simulator-helps-drivers-win-championships>) before tackling the real deal. Of course, with both riders are used to traveling at over 200 miles per hour on 300-horsepower motorcycles, driving an actual car must've been a relatively tranquil experience.

![message-editor%2F1528235525482-ap-1vvsb6cph2111\_news.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1528235525482-ap-1vvsb6cph2111_news.jpg>)
*Red Bull*

![message-editor%2F1528235537942-ap-1vvrnkh712111\_news.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1528235537942-ap-1vvrnkh712111_news.jpg>)
*Red Bull*

As this [video](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYh8YpUZcng>) shows, Marquez received a bit of coaching from former F1 driver and WEC champion [Mark Webber](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/20975/ex-formula-1-driver-mark-webber-tests-the-porsche-mission-e-in-weissach>) and even received a few words of encouragement from Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz.

“It was always my dream to race the quickest cars in the world," said Marquez. "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. 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](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/12807/indycar-reveals-its-2018-car>), of course, which made for a lot of fun in the part of the circuit with the most turns, in particular.”

![message-editor%2F1528236034633-ap-1vvq6qcxw2111\_news.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1528236034633-ap-1vvq6qcxw2111_news.jpg>)
*Red Bull*

![message-editor%2F1528236041759-ap-1vvqrq1ks2111\_news.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1528236041759-ap-1vvqrq1ks2111_news.jpg>)
*Red Bull*

Unfortunately, Marquez or Pedrosa's lap times will not be revealed, but *[Motorsport](<https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/motogp-marquez-makes-formula-1-debut-1044678/>)* reports that Marquez eventually recorded a lap time of 1:14.900, which is about six seconds slower than the 2014 pole position time, and more than 10 seconds slower than last year's pole. Then again, these times are nearly irrelevant considering the [RB8's six-year-old](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/18610/red-bull-racing-reveals-2018-formula-1-car-the-rb14>), non-hybrid power plant and hard exhibition Pirelli tires.

Even Webber had some praise for the young Spaniard: "“He was really quiet still at breakfast. As soon as he got into the cockpit, he was 100 percent 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."

https://youtube.com/embed/PYh8YpUZcng

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)