Six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez got back on a motorbike for the first time since undergoing arm surgery in June.
The Repsol Honda rider took to the track a CBR600RR which is the Japanese manufacturer’s Supersport bike, in MotorLand Aragon.
The outing happened about a week after he underwent one of his routine physical exams, following which he was given the all-clear to “intensify” his training, including picking up his motorcycle. Notably, Marquez made a return to bike training after missing his two previous stints due to concussion and diplopia on the same motorcycle, the Honda CBR600RR.
Marquez, who withdrew from the 2022 world championship in early June to have his injured right arm’s bones realigned, has recently been given the all-clear to intensify his training and test the state of his arm on a motorcycle.
“Today I can’t stop smiling. After a huge effort I’m back on the bike again. Thanks to all of you who are always pushing me! Let’s keep it up!!” Marquez wrote on social media.
Honda also publicized the Aragon ride on its social media pages, however it hasn’t said anything further about whether or not Marquez will participate in the official Misano MotoGP test the following week.
Following this year’s bike’s tumble to sixth and last in the constructors’ standings, Honda is hopeful Marquez will be healthy enough to complete at least a few laps at the Misano test, scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday. This will assist provide crucial feedback for the 2023 bike.
Speaking to Spanish television during the Austrian Grand Prix almost a fortnight ago, team manager Alberto Puig expressed optimism that the #93 may finish at least a few laps.
The Misano preview from the Repsol Honda Team then implied that such hope had lessened because it made little mention of Marquez while Pol Espargaro and Stefan Bradl remarked on the test.
Honda hasn’t claimed a MotoGP victory since Marquez’s triumph in Misano last year, and the #93 rider continues to be the best for Honda despite finishing just 15th overall and missing seven of the 13 rounds.
Since the start of the 2020 season, Marquez has missed 24 races and 22 rounds due to his badly fractured arm, which required surgery in June, as well as a concussion and double vision.
For 2023, Joan Mir will join Marquez’s Repsol Honda squad as his teammate.
