Motorcycling-Marquez defends move to Andorra

Dec 13 (Reuters) - Spanish MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez has defended his decision to move to Andorra and said he will still pay taxes in Spain next year. "I'm 21 now and I've always been living with my parents, so like many young people I've decided to create my own space and my own home," the official motogp.com website quoted the Catalan as saying. "I've picked Andorra because I've been there many winters and many times during the year...who knows what will happen in the future. I pay my taxes in Spain and will still do so next year." Andorra, a principality in the eastern Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France and within easy reach of Marquez's home town of Cervera, is also known for its favourable tax regime towards residents. Marquez, the youngest ever MotoGP world champion who successfully defended his title this year, recognised there had been criticism of him in Spain but said some of it had been harsh. "As a sportsman, you never know how long your career will last," said the Honda rider. Britain's Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton, who drives for Mercedes, lives in Monaco and has also been criticised in British media for his choice of residence. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ed Osmond)