MotoGP champion Marquez’s arm finally starting to heal
Six-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez’s broken right arm which ruled him out of the 2020 season is now beginning to show signs of healing, according to Honda.
Marquez broke his right humerus in a crash during the latter stages of last year’s Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez and immediately underwent surgery to have a plate fitted to the bone.
He attempted a comeback just days later at the second Jerez race, but had to abandon it after qualifying as the strain of his efforts damaged the metalwork.
He would require a second operation in August, which would ultimately rule him out for the rest of the season, before undergoing a third surgery in December.
His latest operation had doctors graft bone from his hip to his arm in order to help the healing process, though recovery was delayed slightly by the finding of an infection from his previous surgery.
That operation was thought to come with a six-month recovery period, though Honda until now has remained tight-lipped on Marquez’s rehabilitation.
Marquez recently began training again and has been able to remove the shoulder protection he has been carrying for some time.
However, with six weeks to go until the scheduled start of the 2021 season in Qatar on 28 March, with testing beginning on the first week of March (COVID-19 pandemic permitting), Marquez’s participation still remains in doubt.
Marquez will be joined by Pol Espargaro at Honda in 2021, with the pair set to appear together as HRC riders for the first time on 22 February at the team’s official launch presentation.
In recent months, talk of Honda potentially turning to ex-Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso to sub for Marquez in the opening races of 2021 should the Spaniard remain unable to ride have swirled.
Dovizioso – who is taking a sabbatical in 2021 after losing his Ducati ride – hasn’t ruled out the possibility, while his manager recently said the 15-time MotoGP race winner was ready should Honda make the call.
However, it now appears Honda has put these rumours to bed and will now likely run test rider Stefan Bradl – as it did from Brno onwards last year – should it need a replacement for Marquez.
Related video
MotoGP and teams' association sign new five-year deal
KTM and Tech 3 unveil 2021 MotoGP colours
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. We analyse what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP's Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How praise for Honda's MotoGP bike has given way to doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations
The MotoGP rookie fighting two fronts in his debut year
Darryn Binder has found himself in the unenviable position as MotoGP's most under-pressure rookie in 2022 having made the step directly from Moto3 with a reputation as an over-aggressive rider. This hasn't been an easy thing to shake at the start of the season, but he believes tangible progress is being made
How ‘Beast’ mode is putting Ducati in 2022 MotoGP title contention
Enea Bastianini’s second win of the 2022 campaign at COTA puts him back in the lead of the standings and once again showed the best Ducati package is still the 2021 bike. Those closest to Bastianini tell Motorsport.com why he’s so good on the GP21 relative to his factory counterparts.
How Espargaro helped Aprilia shed MotoGP's underdog tag
Aleix Espargaro became MotoGP's newest winner in a thrilling Argentina Grand Prix in which he also proved the merits of the Aprilia project. After six years of hard graft, both parties have reaped the rewards they have long thought they deserved. But it was several key moments in that journey that led both to that momentous Sunday at Termas de Rio Hondo.