Honda MotoGP test rider Stefan Bradl will once again return to MotoGP action this weekend at the Algarve Grand Prix, stepping into the Repsol Honda team to repeat his now regular role as the replacement for the injured Marc Marquez.
It was announced yesterday that the Spaniard will sit out this weekend’s race at Portimao after sustaining a concussion last Saturday while training on an off-road machine, but no substitute was confirmed when the team first released a brief statement on the eight-time world champion’s injuries.
However, it’s now been made official that Bradl, who has tested extensively of late for the Japanese manufacturer, will park his microphone from his normal weekend role as a TV pundit for German broadcaster Servus and will instead replace Marquez.
“First of all I hope Marc is recovering well and he can be back on track soon,” the 31-year-old said in a team press release.
“I am looking forward to riding again as Portimao is an enjoyable circuit where we had a good result towards the end of 2020. It’s never easy to jump on the bike, but we have had a lot of good bike time this year between the races and testing.”
Bradl’s return to the team is a familiar one considering it marks his fifth appearance of the season for Honda after first deputising for Marquez at the opening two races of the year in Qatar (pictured below) before going on to make two wildcard appearances in his role as test rider.
It also means that he will have lined up for 17 of the last 27 races after spending most of the 2020 season deputising for Marquez as he recovered from a badly broken arm suffered at the opening round of the season, with the Spaniard only actually riding in 14 of those 27 rounds.
Bradl enjoyed his best result of the season last year at Portimao, finally released from what was essentially a racing test rider role in the final round of the year as a thank-you for his work both replacing Marquez and developing the 2021 RC213V.
Using previous track knowledge from his time in the World Superbike championship at a track that was then new to MotoGP, he ended the weekend in seventh.
