Repsol Honda has issued a brief update on the condition of eight-time world champion Marc Marquez, following the eye injury he sustained just ahead of the end of the 2021 MotoGP season that saw him missing the final two rounds of the year.
Originally diagnosed with a concussion following a crash while training on his enduro bike, Marquez’s team admitted only later that his condition was somewhat more serious, with a recurrence of the eye injury that impacted his 2011 Moto2 season and potentially cost him the middleweight title at his first attempt.
Damaging the muscles that control his eyes and leaving him with double vision, those issues returned following the fresh head trauma while training, with the 28-year-old describing his latest situation as “like 2011” in his social media post about the new vision problem.
“After Marc Marquez underwent a medical examination at the Dexeus Clinic in Barcelona last Tuesday, in which he was evaluated after a fall while practising off-road, the rider has been resting all week at his home in Cervera,” said a Honda statement at the time.
“During these days of rest, Marc has continued to feel unwell and has suffered from vision problems, which is why this Monday he was visited by the ophthalmologist Dr Sanchez Dalmau at the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, who examined him and performed the tests, which detected a new episode of diplopia.”
However, with the best cure for his injuries time rather than a repeat of the 2011 surgery that fixed the issue last time, Marquez and his team have been taking a more conservative approach this time around – and it seems like that strategy has paid off for him.
“The Repsol Honda Team rider,” said his team in a freshly-issued statement that bodes well for Marquez, “who last October was diagnosed with an episode of diplopia after suffering a fall while training for the Portuguese GP, has continued periodic visits to his trusted ophthalmologist to assess the evolution of his vision over the past two months.
“During these reviews, the progress made has been deemed favourable and as a result, Marquez will continue with a conservative treatment plan for the next few weeks.
“Marc Marquez will continue to undergo periodic reviews with Dr. Sánchez Dalmau during the coming weeks alongside the conservative treatment plan. The situation does not prevent the rider from Cervera from continuing his physical training plan to prepare himself physically for a new season.”
