NO REPLACEMENT FOR MARQUEZ THIS WEEKEND

No replacement for Marc Marquez this weekend – Photo: LAT

The factory Honda MotoGP squad has confirmed that it will not replace the injured Marc Marquez who has been forced to sit out of the second round this weekend.

By DAN McCARTHY

The opening round of the shortened 2020 MotoGP season was a punishing event for all riders due to scorching hot weather conditions.

For three riders the weekend was even more painful as Marc Marquez, Alex Rins and Cal Crutchlow all suffered injuries.

The Repsol Honda team has confirmed that they will field the one solitary bike for Alex Marquez after his brother Marc was thrown from his Honda RC213V in a vicious highside late in the race, it was clear immediately that the Spaniard was in pain.

The MotoGP traumatology specialist Dr Mir has confirmed that the reigning champion fractured his right humerus in the sickening accident.

“Marc Marquez has suffered an injury, it seems, from a direct impact of the tyre to the right arm, resulting in a fracture to the shaft of the humerus, a complete fracture although it isn’t completely displaced, with some possible paralysis of the radial nerve, although we’re not certain,” Dr Mir said.

Later today the six-time MotoGP champion will have surgery on his humerus in Barcelona, at this stage it is unknown when the older of the Marquez brothers will return.

Marquez is hopeful of returning for Round 3 in Brno on August 9, but Mir has warned that his return could be delayed by up to one month.

This weekend’s race in Jerez will be the first race that the Spaniard has missed since making his MotoGP debut in 2017.

Englishman Crutchlow was injured a few hours earlier in a Sunday morning warm up crash, the LCR Honda rider was found to have a tiny fracture on his left scaphoid bone in his left wrist.

Like Marquez, the three-time grand prix winner is set to have surgery later today, however Crutchlow remains optimistic about racing this weekend.

The 34-year-old will not know his fate until later in the week when he is examined prior to the commencement of the race weekend.

Factory Suzuki rider Rins is in a similar position, he will also not know if he will be eligible to race until checks have been completed on his shoulder.

Rins was one of the title favourites coming into the 2020 season but failed to turn a wheel in the race after he fractured and dislocated his left shoulder in a high-speed qualifying crash.

The two-time grand prix winner will undergo checks on Thursday at the circuit, at which point doctors will decide if the Spaniard can compete at Jerez.

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