Following Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix, Marc Marquez will have more surgery on his injured right arm, putting him out for several races as he heals.
The Spaniard has struggled to ride his Honda in the manner he is accustomed to because his right humerus bone, which he first shattered in a devastating Jerez crash nearly two years ago, has not fully healed since his previous operation 18 months ago.
The six-time MotoGP world champion has decided to undergo surgery for the fourth time, this time at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, USA in order to regain his ability to fully utilise his RC213-V.
Marquez announced in a news conference after qualifying 12th at Mugello on Saturday that he will fly to the United States after the Italian GP to have the operation before returning home to Barcelona to recover, but he acknowledged that it will put him out of competition for a while.
“Unfortunately, I have to take a break from the 2022 season that will keep me away from competition for a while,” said Marquez.
“After all these months of intense work with my new medical team in Madrid, my physical condition has improved and I have reduced the discomfort in my right arm to be able to compete at the Grands Prix, but I still have significant limitations in my humerus that does not allow me to ride the bike properly and achieve the goals I have always set for myself.”
“It is for this reason, that together with my medical team, Dr. Samuel Antuña and Dr. Angel Cotorro, and after consulting with specialists from the Mayo Clinic, that I have made the decision to carry out a new operation with the aim of improving my position on the bike that will allow me to ride without the current limitations.”
“Personally, I have the maximum motivation and enthusiasm to continue working and to make the effort to return to compete at the highest level.”
With Marquez’s recovery time set to be determined by his medical team in Madrid, it’s likely that Honda test rider Stefan Bradl will fill in for him in the most, if not all, of the races he’ll be forced to miss.
