A duel Lewis Hamilton vs Marc Marquez? Oh, yeah. Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has accepted the dare thrown by his MotoGP college Marc Marquez. The challenge consists of going head to head in two separate races, the first one in an F1 car and the second one on a Premier Class motorbike. 

The celebrity contenders will have to put their skills to the test- and try to defeat their rival – in a speciality that is not their own. Both athletes, however, do share their love of speed and of the aroma burnt rubber… in any of its ‘fragrances’. Let the show begin!

A ‘biker’ called Lewis Hamilton

Much to the concern of his bosses at the German Scuderia, Lewis Hamilton has turned out to be a real aficionado of motorcycle racing as well as a keen biker himself. So much so that it is not unusual to see him side by side with professional motorcycle pilots at the circuits. 

In December 2018, he sat at the controls of a Superbikes’ Yamaha YZF R1 at the Circuit of Jerez (Spain). The superstar driver took some driving lessons from his compatriot and friend Alex Loews, who competes in the speciality. 

Hamilton had this to say about the whole experience: “I was not able to push it as they do on the Superbike. I still have a lot to learn because it is a driving style completely different from that of driving a car, but it is very exciting to learn”.

A few months before, Hamilton had also visited the track in Almeria where he received the teachings of a famous Spanish instructor called Antonio Maeso. And that is not all. 

In February of that same 2018, the Mercedes #44 met compatriot from MotoGP Castrol Honda team, Cal Crutchlow, at the Californian track of Chuckwalla Valley Raceway. As you can see on the day’s images, Hamilton followed Crutchlow closely – when he was able to do so – in order to learn how to take the bends. 

But his passion for the two wheels goes beyond the racing tracks. Hamilton is often seen arriving at the paddock during a Grand Prix on board his Agusta. The Briton, in fact, does have a collaboration deal with the Italian brand, which has resulted in several of the bike’s series to be produced in his honour. 

Two examples of such series are the MV Agusta Brutale Dragster RR LH44 and the most recent, the MV Agusta F4 LH44. Both machines belong to the superbike style, very much to the delight of the current Formula 1 World Champion.

Marc Marquez: The Formula 1 driver

The other participant in the challenge, Marc Marquez, has also been seduced by a discipline that is very different from his own. It all happened at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on the 5th of July of last year. 

On that day, the Spaniard climbed onto a F1 2012 Red Bull RB8 painted with the colours of a Toro Rosso. After receiving some instructions from the team’s Australian ex-driver Mark Webber, as well as from Austrian Nikki Lauda, he took to the track. He completed 40 laps leaving Red Bull owner, Dietrich Mateschitz, completely blown away. 

“The speed was there but I lack the experience. I knew the layout of the track but the braking points and downforce was the most difficult thing to understand. You break softer (in a car) and inside it, one feels safer than on the bike. But inside a car is harder to see the warning signs, or where the limit is, such as in a motorbike”

How did the duel Lewis Hamilton vs Marc Marquez come about?

The duel Lewis Hamilton vs Marc Marquez started during last week’s British MotoGP Grand Prix. A few days before the race, Marquez gave an interview to the Daily Mail newspaper. During the interview, he was asked if he would like to go head to head with Hamilton on the track.

His quick response left no shadow of a doubt: “Of course! It would be interesting. Face-to-face, first an F1 car and then a motorbike because I know he is riding.”

The Briton was then quick to accept the challenge from the Spaniard via an Instagram message where he invited Marquez to organise the event together. So the challenge between the two greatest masters of speed is on…as they both head for their sixth respective World Titles in Formula 1 and MotoGP.

Main image of ‘Duel Lewis Hamilton vs Marc Marquez’: Marc Márquez Instagram.