Honda MotoGP star Marc Marquez has spent roughly 9 months recovering from a broken arm suffered at the opening round of last year’s MotoGP championship. As we reported, he was recently shown testing a Honda RC213V-S (which we mistakenly identified as a homologated superbike — instead, it features a V-4 engine and is, in essence, a street legal version of a MotoGP bike). This led to speculation that Marquez might attempt to return to racing as early as the opening round this year, which takes place next weekend in Qatar. Both Honda and Marquez are confirming that will not be the case.
HRC, the employer of Marquez, issued the following press release this morning indicating Marquez will not race this weekend. In addition, Marquez himself made a statement on Instagram confirming he will miss BOTH Qatar rounds, the opening two races this year. The statement posted on his Instagram follows the HRC press release.
HRC PRESS RELEASE:
Marc Marquez, together with his medical team from the Hospital Ruber Internacional, have considered it prudent not to re-join competition this weekend in Qatar.
In the review carried out on the Spanish rider by the medical team led by Doctors Samuel Antuña and Ignacio Roger de Oña, and made up of Doctors De Miguel, Ibarzabal and García Villanueva, 15 weeks after surgery for an infected pseudoarthrosis of the right humerus, a good clinical response has been found after the intensification of his training.
However, considering the time period and the current state of the bone consolidation process, doctors consider it prudent and necessary not to accelerate Marquez’s return to the track after such an inactive time, and to avoid putting the humerus at risk in intense competition. Marquez will undergo another medical check on Monday, April 12.
Marc Marquez
“After the last review with the medical team, the doctors have advised me that the most prudent thing was not to take part in the Qatar Grand Prix and to continue with the recovery plan that we have followed in recent weeks. I would have loved to be able to participate in the opening race of the World Championship, but we will have to continue working to be able to recover the optimal conditions that allow us to return to competition.”
MARK MARQUEZ INSTAGRAM STATEMENT:
“After the last check-up with the medical team, they have advised me not to participate in the two Qatar races so we will continue with the recovery to return to compete as soon as possible!”
The last thing he wants to do is to come back too early and cause an issue that could end his career. The issue is how fractures heal. The process goes from Bony callus formation to Bone remodeling. That stage of going from a calcifying scar tissue to hard bone takes many more months when delayed by infection. Going out on the track with a humerus that is not strong enough could break it under a minor crash and probably cause permanent issues. I know two people with one leg shorter than the other due to a fracture not healing correctly. I’m sure a doctor telling me that as a possible outcome would have me sit out a couple rounds more.
Did somebody say something? 🤔
Marc is actually ready to go , he is just giving a everyone a 2 race head start to keep it competitive. I hope he dominates , I feel like I got robbed last year.
I’m not paying the MGP subscription fee, so I didn’t feel robbed. LOL The racing was good, so long as you could persuade yourself that not having the best rider on the track didn’t matter.
The “best rider” was “on the track” in the first race, he ran off-track and over the rocks, was in last place, made it up to 3rd place (great so far, he’s on the podium) then for absolutely no good reason (hubris is bad) he severely high-sided in a single-vehicle crash with 1-2 laps remaining in a vain attempt to take 2nd (1st place had insurmountable lead.)
He high-sided about 30 feet linear, 8 feet in the air, landed on his shoulder, then his front wheel hammered the same arm. Cool, not.
After surgery and another swill of hubris he practiced to race the subsequent weekend, causing him to miss competition indefinitely.
The former best is not necessarily the current best. I’d wager it’s a small ratio of 2020 season subscribers who lacked enjoyment because MM crashed himself out of competition, esp. for no good reason. I further doubt hubris ever won anyone a championship…in anything.
Don’t understand the mind set of a racer with the drive to be a multi time World Champion do you? If they believe they can pass one more rider, they will try and pass that rider in order to gain a single point
Look at Rossi racing after a compound fracture of his leg, look at Mick Doohan racing after almost having his leg amputated and having his legs grafted together, look at multiple racers like Lorenzo and Pedrosa returning to the track just days after breaking their collarbone.
It’s what this guys do, whether wise or not. They will claw and crawl to their bikes on their bellies if they have to come race day.
I think hubris is not the right description. See mickey’s comment.
Definition: “excessive pride or self confidence.”
If MM’s confidence was not excessive, than was the attempted pass the appropriate action? Why?
MM attempted an absolutely completely needless pass (first race of the season) to finish 2nd instead of 3rd (1st was absolutely 1000% impossible). 3rd was virtually guaranteed. The failed attempt solely caused MM’s single vehicle crash, which crash and MM’s subsequent attempt to race the following weekend caused an immediate end to MM’s racing career through at least the 2nd 2021 race and maybe longer.
If that does not define hubris, then type a story that does and define how the hubris in your story is different and MM’s story does not describe hubris.
If the pass succeeded it’s absolutely NOT hubris. Does anyone here suggest that was a successful pass?
MM acted as if the skill and bike conditions that allowed him to go from last to 3rd would continue so that he would pass Vinales, whom has been inconsistent but has on an even field creamed MM once or twice.
The undeniable fact of MM’s past and current non-race medical condition absolutely confirms hubris.
If anyone reading this thinks that someone representing Honda’s CEO has not read the riot act to Puig Re. this current state of affairs, and ordered Puig to pass along to MM the same message and return a follow up letter describing the meeting and MM’s response, I would say the chances of that are zero.
Honda Corporate can not give a crap less about MM’s pride, ruining his race mind, etc. Honda does not spend $100m/annual on MotoGP so that MM’s hubris can piss it into the wind.
If it ain’t healed up in 9 months I doubt if he’s going to be 100% in a couple more months. .
It will be great to see Marc back in competition. I’m good with his decision to let the bone continue to heal while building up strength and fitness. It was, and is, my opinion that Marc will be competitive for this year’s championship if he can be back on track by the 5th race (Jerez, May 2nd).
Can’t wait until Friday and FP’s to begin. Wish Marc was going to be there riding, but it’s probably wise to follow the doctor’s (Not Rossi lol) advice.
I saw a report that Giacomo Agostini suggested that he ride the race and be happy to finish last.
I get it that Marquez probably doesn’t have kind of restraint required to finish anything remotely like last. So it’s probably a good idea to have his sidelined for a while.
I guess Giacomo wanted Marquez to ride around, wave to the fans and then be on hand for selling the Honda merch in the pit.
Racing is training. If he is out there, he is exercising and getting the feel of riding the whole race. Getting back in the swing of things.
Doing all that without any focus on winning would keep him from pushing too hard.
I don’t know what he is doing to get back in shape. But I’ll bet it doesn’t look anything like a race weekend.
I am a very long way from being a Marquez fan, or even a fan of DieselGP in general. But I do know that the best way to train for racing is by racing.
Heck, one of my best Enduro results came on a day that I held a trail ride mindset with the goal of finishing strong. Who knew?
Marc doesn’t need to learn how to race. He already knows how to do that. He has chosen to give the broken bone more time to heal, while working on building strength. Riding around slowly behind the field is not racing. If he needs more track time, there will be places he can ride the RC213V-S with much less risk, while controlling the conditions and the publicity. I’m confident that he well return to racing when he is ready to race, and not just do parade Laos.
Gotta agree with Mick on this one Goose. Ago meant he should race for the training. Pretty sure he could give a rat’s ass about sponsors at this point, if he ever did.
I think MM gives more than a rat’s ass about his sponsors. Ever spotted how the first thing he does in parc ferme after taking off his helmet and gloves is to put on his sponsor’s fancy wristwatch? He’s a corporate whore, and way more so than most.
I was referring to Agostini.
Goose Lavel we already have Rossi doing this why not Marc. At least Marc will win another championship Rossi may never see the podiom again.
Wow, I was only kidding!
We all know that Marquez will win the next several championships by wide points margins, right?
No.