Honda has confirmed that Marc Marquez will sit out this Friday’s MotoGP Andalusian Grand Prix running as he continues to recover from a broken right arm.
Marquez crashed heavily in last Sunday’s Spanish GP while recovering from a spectacular off on lap five while leading.
The Honda rider broke his right humerus bone and underwent surgery in Barcelona on Tuesday to have a plate and screws fitted, before returning to Jerez to attempt a sensational comeback.
Having been passed fit by circuit doctors earlier this afternoon, Honda team boss Alberto Puig has confirmed the plans was always for Marquez to sit out Friday’s running to minimize the risk of another crash having already had four days of running at Jerez last week.
Speaking on Thursday afternoon, Puig said: “If it was a new track, it would be difficult.
“But we have been here, testing for four days and racing. So the set-up of the bike he knows, he knows exactly how to ride the bike at this track.
“So there’s no meaning to try on Friday and give more stress to the injury.
“So he will try on Saturday and we will see. But it was very important for Honda to also respect the rider’s wish.
“So, we found this compromise and we will see what is the result on Saturday.”
Puig says Marquez expressed a desire to race almost immediately after the operation having felt better than expected and reached the compromise with Marquez that he would try on Saturday to assess himself.
“Nobody expected to see him here,” Puig added.
“When the accident happened, we were worried and of course we had to move to Barcelona for the surgery.
“The surgery went spectacularly well, we didn’t expect. We know the doctor is good, but it was a fantastic job.
“And after surgery, the rider started to feel very well, so he started to contact us, [he said] ‘I’m not so bad, I feel well, I’m not having so much pain, I can move the arm’.
“The nerve situation was, as the doctor informed us, OK.
“So, originally, Honda’s position was to cancel this race and to try at Brno.
“But after what we saw of Marc’s wish, after what the doctor said today, we came to an understanding that he will try on Saturday and depending on his he is feeling he will try the race.
“But we asked him to check on Saturday first if he is capable of doing the distance to see if it’s risky or not.”