MARC MARQUEZ READY TO RACE!
King’s return set to ignite GP title fight
Game on! After nine months out of action with a broken humerus Marc Marquez has been given the allclear to compete and will take part in this weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao. Marquez’s team of medical experts have confirmed that his latest review showed there was evident progress with the bone consolidation process and that the affected area was in a ‘very satisfactory clinical condition’.
Cue the Jaws music…
When Marquez exits pit-lane for FP1 on Friday it will have been 265 days since he last competed in a MotoGP session – the last outing being his failed, and costly, return at the Andalucian GP only four days after surgery. Since then, he’s undergone three operations and a bone graft, had two different titanium plates fitted and battled an infection.
Two races down, but not out
Marquez has been on an upwards trajectory for the last month; mountain biking, cycling, minibike riding and even completing laps in Barcelona and Portimao on an RC213V-S production bike. Marquez missed the opening two races, but in reality, he doesn’t have much ground to make up. Johann Zarco leads the championship with 40 points, but in the world of Marc Marquez, that’s nothing.
The biggest question is what exactly can Marquez achieve in his first weekend back. It’s a track he’s never ridden a MotoGP bike at before, whilst all the others raced there in November for the 2020 finale, and nine months without riding his RC213V in anger is a very long time. During his time away the other riders have gained plenty of confidence and self-belief. No longer are they turning up with the mindset that the best result they can hope for is second – and that’s something they’re going to have to maintain this Sunday because you wouldn’t want to be one of the riders beaten by Marquez at his first attempt.
Top five? Podium? Victory…
For any other racer there wouldn’t be any talk of a top five, a podium and certainly not the win. Fighting against temptation will ultimately be the key to success or failure for Marquez at Portimao. In the past the Spaniard would happily crash multiple times in free practice if it meant finding the limit on each track. He can’t do that on this occasion. An
‘Marquez shouldn’t risk riding like he’s never been away’
impressive FP1 could lead to an over-excited rider for FP2, again, he shouldn’t put his arm at risk by giving in to temptation and riding like he’s never been away. A nine-month injury will have taught Marquez plenty though and he’ll likely take things as steady as he can. The others will be wary of him, but he’ll also be wary of himself.
On Sunday it will have been 518 days since Marquez last finished a race, in Valencia 2019. Can he end the drought in Portimao?