Repsol Honda Team endure trying Italian GP race day

Tenth place for Marc Marquez in the 23-lap race was the only reward for the Repsol Honda Tam after three intense days of work in Mugello.

Stable weather returned to the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley for race day once the overnight rain had dried. There were then no signs of the forecasted rain as the grid lined up for the 23-lap race. A great start aboard the RC213V saw Marc Marquez challenge the top five from 11th on the grid in the early stages as he pushed to stay with the leaders. Consistent pace in the high 1’47s to low 1’48s saw him defend his position as best he could, working to stay inside the top ten throughout the race. Crossing the line in 10th place after overtaking Fabio Di Giannantonio, Marquez and the Repsol Honda Team leave Italy with six more points.

Marc Marquez will now prepare for the fourth surgery on his right humerus, flying to the United States on Tuesday and therefore missing the Catalan Grand Prix.

Marc Márquez, 10º: “It was a tough race, like we were expecting. I gave everything in the first seven laps to see if I had the speed of the front riders and our pace wasn’t bad but then I started to struggle physically. I kept calm, I was riding with a comfortable rhythm, and I worked on understanding where we were losing compared to other bikes. The target was to give constructive comments to the team, and we achieved it. Now we have the most important ‘race’ of the season next week. It was difficult to concentrate because I know that next week is very important for my career, but I am proud to have done this race. I look forward to seeing everyone again soon.”

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Marc Marquez to undergo further surgery on right humerus

Marc Marquez will undergo a fourth surgery on his right humerus, heading to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

The Repsol Honda Team rider has suffered major limitations in recent months that have prevented him from performing at the highest level. As a result, he has elected to undergo surgery 18 months after his last operation.

Marquez, having not felt significant improvements in recent months and consulting with other specialists, together with his medical team have considered the option of a new operation. The six-time MotoGP World Champion will travel to the United States on Tuesday, May 31 for surgery, under the direction of Dr. Joaquin Sánchez Sotelo. Once the post-operative period has been completed, he will return to Spain to begin his recovery. Doctors will then assess Marquez’s condition and his recovery period.

 

Marc Marquez 

“Unfortunately, I have to take a break from the 2022 season that will keep me away from competition for a while. 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.”

“I want to thank all the support that my family has always shown me, those trusted people around me, the Repsol Honda Team, my entire medical team and especially all the fans who are always there with me in the good and bad times.”                 

              

Dr. Sanchez Sotelo – Medical Doctor

“Given the lack of sufficient clinical improvement with the rehabilitation treatment, and advised by his medical team, Marc Marquez will undergo a new surgical intervention at the Mayo Clinic in the US, to improve the discomfort in his right arm derived from the loss of mobility in the arm.”

“The surgery will consist of the extraction of the osteosynthesis material from his shoulder associated with a humeral osteotomy to increase the external rotation movement of the arm and maintain shoulder stability.”    

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Marc Márquez salvage points from trying French GP

The French GP was ultimately a weekend of ups and downs as Marc worked to deliver the maximum potential result in Le Mans.

A morning spit of rain would ultimately amount to nothing as the Le Mans circuit hosted one of the hottest French Grands Prix in recent years. Over 100,000 passionate French fans made for an electric atmosphere as the MotoGP World Championship lined up for round seven of the 2022 season.

Both Repsol Honda Team riders started the race well when the lights went out at 14:00 Local Time, Marc Marquez opting for a wider line through the fast Turn One. There was no waiting around as the eight-time World Champion immediately began to work his way forward, sliding past Nakagami and Quartararo at the end of the first lap. Steady pace followed as Marquez tried to close the distance to the leading group on his RC213V, holding firm in seventh place for much of the race. Crashes ahead would see Marquez cross the line sixth place, collecting ten points.

With a total of 54 points, Marc Marquez maintains his position inside the top-ten in the overall standings.

There is now a week off before the Repsol Honda Team face yet another back-to-back challenge with Mugello and Barcelona, two iconic tracks within less than ten days of each other.

Marc Márquez, SIXTH: “I said yesterday that with a good race our position would be fifth, sixth or seventh and we finished sixth – even if our real position was ninth because there were some falls. It was a solid race at our pace, but it was a really long race and I wasn’t able to push towards the end. All we can do is keep on working, that’s the best way to improve for the future. My target is not just to be finishing as top Honda, it’s to be finishing on the podium but we are not there yet. There’s still more to understand in the next races to close the gap to the front.”                         

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Fighting fourth from Marquez ignites the Spanish GP crowd

It might not have been the podium he was aiming for, but Marc Marquez showed he’s ready to fight with a spirited ride to fourth.

Crowds at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España were back to their best as the flocked to the hills of the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto from dawn. Pushing 60,000, the home fans were wanting a show and the 25-lap MotoGP race certainly didn’t disappoint.

Initially launching off the line well, Marc Marquez found Aleix Espargaro in his path and had to alter his trajectory through the opening corner but quickly passed the Aprilia rider. A three-way game of chess would quickly emerge between Marquez, Aleix Espargaro and Miller as the trio tested each other for the majority of the race with a podium finish in view. The powder keg would ignite in the closing laps, Marquez attacking Miller and moving into third place with just five laps to go and with Miller so strong on the brakes, Marquez knew that attacking through the fast Turn 5 would be his best option as their chess game escalated.

From there it was a brawl as Marquez, Miller and Espargaro battled – an incredible save from the #93 at the final corner allowing Espargaro to just break away. A fired-up Marquez refused to let the moment hold him back as he fought until the very end with Miller, pushing his Honda RC213V to the limit and sending the crowd into a frenzy as he left long black lines around the track as Marquez looked to get past Miller again. 13 points in his pocket, Marquez moves up two positions into ninth overall in the championship and sits 45 points behind defending World Champion Fabio Quartararo.

The Repsol Honda Team will now remain in Jerez for the first in-season test of the year, a brief but important Monday test at the 4.4-kilometre-long track. The objective for both Marquez and Espargaro is to find the speed and feeling they had during the winter tests and return to consistently battling at the front of the field.

Marc Márquez, 4º: “Today I gave my maximum and achieved the maximum. I saved my energy through the whole weekend to be ready for Sunday because I’m still not in the condition to do a whole weekend at 100%. It’s the Spanish GP, I had to give it everything on race day. At one point in the race, I thought maybe the podium was possible, the key point was overtaking Miller and stopping Aleix because he was faster than us. This is what I tried to do but then at the last corner I lost the front and the rear but fortunately the Spanish crowd were there to pick me up and save the crash! We don’t give up; we keep pushing and now we prepare for an important Monday test.”

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