The Honda star hasn’t been on his RC213V since his aborted comeback at the Andalusian GP last July just days after surgery on the right arm he broke in the Spanish GP, with Friday’s FP1 session at Algarve marking the first time he’ll have ridden a MotoGP bike in 265 days.
No one is sure just what Marquez we will get on his comeback, as he takes to a circuit he has zero experience of on a MotoGP bike – though did spin some laps on an RC213V-S street bike last month.
Honda has already said its expectations are irrelevant compared to what Marquez expects of himself and all eyes will be on the Spaniard to see if he can get back up to speed straight away.
In the latest Tank Slappers Podcast, Autosport’s Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Oriol Puigdemont look ahead to this weekend’s third round of the 2021 MotoGP season and discuss Marquez’s return.