The Repsol Honda rider has been sidelined since a multiple-accident at the Portugal Grand Prix in which he collided with Miguel Oliveira. Márquez will be present at the French Grand Prix, after Alex Rins secured Honda’s first victory since 2021.
Marc Márquez will be back on his bike a month and a half after breaking his thumb in a crash. The eight-time world champion returns after a delicate injury that, in his own words, “put his continuity in MotoGP at risk.” He has only competed in 29 of the 57 races since his incident in Jerez three years ago.
It’s been a challenging process. Márquez needed the permission of three different medical teams to race again, which he did not receive in Argentina, the United States, or Jerez. But this time, the doctors assured him that the injury was fully healed and he was able to return to his RC213V.
“First and foremost, I’d like to thank my medical team for their professionalism and advice over the last two weeks. Of course, as a rider, you always want to get back as soon as possible, but with an injury like this, it was critical to give it time to recover,” stated the Spanish racer in a press release issued by his team.
More good news: he dodges the penalty
But this has not been the only good news that Marc Márquez has received this week. Márquez was facing a two-lap penalty for the following race he would compete in as a result of the Portimo accident, a very controversial penalty.
Initially, the FIM stewards sanctioned Márquez with two long laps for the Argentina Grand Prix, but once it was communicated that he would not compete in this race, they altered the text so that the penalty would be fulfilled “in the next race he competed in”.Faced with the scenario, Repsol Honda filed a protest against the change of text, and the Court of Appeal has ruled in favor of the team.
Can he win the World title again?
It is difficult for Marc Márquez to compete for the ninth title this year. The races missed, in addition to a Honda RC213V that, despite Alex Rins’ victory in Austin, is not up to Ducati standards, put Márquez in a very complicated situation. Even so, the presence of the eight-time world champion guarantees entertainment, which the sport desperately needs to reclaim its audience.
