Reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez had his first taste of Formula 1 machinery in a test organised by Red Bull at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on Tuesday.
Energy drinks giant Red Bull, which sponsors Marquez and the Repsol Honda team, has organised a test for the four-times premier class champion, team-mate Dani Pedrosa and nine-times motocross champion Tony Cairoli in a 2012-spec Red Bull F1 car in Austria.
Marquez took the Toro Rosso – who run Honda engines in F1 this season – liveried RB8 onto the 2.6-mile Red Bull Ring for his first run late on Tuesday morning, before handing it over to Pedrosa in the afternoon.
Former Red Bull F1 driver and 9-time grand prix winner Mark Webber was present at the test to offer guidance to Marquez and Pedrosa, with the former reportedly impressing during his runs.
Marquez posted on Twitter following his time in the car: “Amazing experience driving an F1 [car]. No words to describe it. Really happy! Thanks Red Bull.”
The Spaniard's previous experience of Formula cars came at Honda's day of thanks at Motegi late last year, when he and Pedrosa sampled a Formula 3 car for two laps.
Marquez and Pedrosa are the first MotoGP riders to experience F1 machinery since current Ducati rider Jorge Lorenzo drove a '14 Mercedes at Silverstone in '16 as a gift from sponsor Monster Energy prior to his departure from Yamaha.
They are also the first Repsol Honda riders to get an opportunity to test an F1 car since five-times 500cc champion Mick Doohan drove a Williams at the Catalunya circuit in '98.
Famously, nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi tested for Ferrari on a number of occasions, and was even tipped to join the Scuderia in F1 in 2007 before deciding to stay in MotoGP.
Rossi was offered the chance to replace the injured Felipe Massa at the Italian Grand Prix in '09, but turned down the offer due to a lack of track time in the car and an unwillingness to switch focus away from his ultimately successful title bid that year.
Four-time 500cc and '64 F1 world champion John Surtees remains the only person in history to have won the top title on two and four wheels.
Despite crashing and finishing 16th in last weekend's Italian Grand Prix, Marquez still leads the MotoGP standings by 23 points having won three races so far this season.
Honda confirmed on Tuesday morning it would be parting ways with Pedrosa after 18 years together across all classes of the world championship, with the Spaniard linked to satellite Yamaha switch for '19.
