Marc Márquez is back, but this time for real. That’s the conclusion one comes to after watching the last three MotoGP races, in which the eight-time world champion returned to action after three months out.
The one from Cervera managed to get back on his RC213V in Portimao, in 2021. However, his arm had not healed well, and he suffered a lot on the bike . To make matters worse, Marc suffered two severe blows to the head (one at the end of last season and the other at the beginning of the current one) that triggered two episodes of diplopia (an old ghost of #93, which was about to force his retired when he was still a Moto2 rider).
His poor physical condition made him make a risky decision: to undergo surgery for the fourth time on his right humerus. Marc underwent surgery shortly after the Italian Grand Prix, and focused on his recovery until Motorland three weeks ago, when he decided to get back on track.
The results have been more than positive, with one pole position and two Top5 finishes . But what makes the fans most excited is to see that he returns to pilot with ease and, it seems, has fun competing again.
In an interview with Estrella Galicia, one of his sponsors , he explained in detail how he experienced his return to the circuits. ” The evolution was very positive and it was what was being sought in this case; starting in Aragón, the Misano test and little by little improving so that the evolution was always positive, because sometimes it can happen that in a rehabilitation steps back,” he said.
The truth is that, when he announced that he would race again in Alcañiz, there were some doubts about whether it was the right time or if, on the contrary, it was advisable to wait. “ Firm steps have been taken, we have managed it quite well and, above all, in this last race in Thailand, both in the dry and in the wet, I have felt competitive”, responds Marc.
The one in Thailand was a test in extreme conditions, with heavy rain and poor visibility; conditions conducive to going down. However, Márquez discovered that “he could now ‘play with the bike'”, something that “he had not been able to do for a long time”.
“What gives me more hope is that, since I have taken both the practice bike and the MotoGP, I have immediately jumped on it and felt that the speed is still there,” said Marc. “Still, it is not enough to be competitive in the world championship”, he acknowledges, and points to the lack of “resistance” as one of the key points.
“In this last Grand Prix in Thailand I started strong from Friday, with ‘strong’ I mean with ‘intensity’, and I knew how to maintain that intensity until Sunday. but because, physically, my body told me: ‘up to here…’ If the race had been on a dry run, I would have suffered much more”.
That is why he does not set big goals for the remainder of the course either : “continue to evolve, be a little closer and be more constant in race times”, declared Marc.
Asked if he felt ready to return to the top of the podium, Marquez again appealed to the combination of factors required to win. “It’s the big question. You can feel prepared, but perhaps there are some rivals who may be more prepared than you. So, we’ll see. I think my goal for the entire winter of 22 to 23 is to do well, to have a season constant and complete.
And, of course, he talked about the difficult situation that Honda is going through , with which only he has managed to ride in the lead on a regular basis. ” Honda made a very big change. They are working hard, but a big change does not mean it is going to be better. In this case we have made a change that is better than last year […], but it has not been enough” .
Likewise, and as he has done on other occasions, he blamed his brand-mates for the results: “ The drivers he has right now, especially Pol [Espargaró] and Álex [Márquez], are world champions in addition to others who are not. they are, and I think the potential of all of them is not to be in the positions that they have been.
In addition, the Catalan left important news: he wants to fight for the title in 2023 . “If you’re a Honda rider, you’re in the Repsol Honda Team and, well, you have the track record you have, because you’re obliged to fight for the World Championship. That’s the goal,” he concluded.
Do you want to read our news before anyone else and for free? Follow us here on our Telegram channel and you won’t miss a thing. All the information, at your fingertips!
