Four time World Moto GP champion, Marc Marquez made his Formula 1 debut today, as he drove a Toro Rosso at the Red Bull Ring today in an attempt to promote the upcoming Formula 1 and Moto GP races in Austria.
Marquez admitted that he was extremely nervous about the drive as he had never driven a Formula 1 Car.
He was extremely pleased with his performance and conceded that he would always remember this drive.
“Today, a full smile, all day! It was a great experience,” Marquez said.
“It was incredible to drive a Formula 1 car, because it’s my first experience with a car at a track – I never drove before. I drove a Formula 3 car, but only two laps in Motegi.
“Yesterday I was very, very nervous, this morning too – difficult to sleep, even more than in a race weekend! But step by step we just tried to find a way, to enjoy, and it was really good.
“They tell me [I was] not bad [to begin with], but I was so far [away from the pace], but then step by step I understand the things, and around these legends everything is easier.
“It is a day that will be always in my mind.” he added.
Webber was Marquez’s coach for this drive and was impressed how quickly Marquez was able to adapt to the 4 wheels as compared to his usual two wheel stuff.
“It’s impressive, because obviously Marc is at the top of his game on two wheels and to come to drive a Formula 1 car, the way we generate the lap time is just so different,” Webber said.
“We have so much downforce, so much cornering grip, the lateral component, the seating position is unique because the eyeline is different.
“A super-impressive morning. He chipped away, we got into the breaking areas, we got into the high-speed corners, and now we’re into this last part which takes a bit longer to get the last bit of lap time out.
“In general it’s been a real honour to be here. He’s driven awesome.” he added.
According to a report in Motorsport.com, Marquez’s best time today was 1m14.9s.
