Reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez will sit out the remainder of the 2020 season, electing not to attempt a return to action with the Honda team at either of the year’s two remaining races.
It has now been four months since the eight-time world champion badly broke his right arm at the season-opening Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, necessitating surgery to install a titanium plate onto the humerus bone.
Subsequently attempting a return to action only five days later, he stressed the injury to the point of significantly aggravating it, prompting a second surgery and extending the timeline for his return into months rather than days.
As was largely anticipated anyway, his team has today confirmed that he will sit out the rest of the season, announcing that Honda test rider Stefan Bradl will continue to deputise for Marquez alongside his younger brother and double 2020 podium finisher Alex.
“As his recovery continues,” HRC announced in its pre-event press release, “Marc Marquez and the Repsol Honda team confirm he will not participate in the remainder of the 2020 MotoGP season and aims to return to racing in 2021.
“Working through his recovery programme and tracking the progress of his arm, Marc Marquez in conjunction with Honda, his team and multiple expert doctors, has elected to officially delay his return to action until 2021.”
Marquez added in a tweet: “After evaluating how the arm is doing with the doctors and my team, we have decided that the best option is to return next year.
“It’s time to continue with the recovery.
“Thanks for the messages of support. Looking forward to returning in 2021.”
Since Marquez’s arrival in MotoGP in 2013, he has won six riders’ titles, with Honda taking the same number of manufacturers’ championships plus five teams’ crowns for its factory Repsol squad.
In his absence, Honda is yet to win a race in 2020 and goes into the final two rounds fifth in the manufacturers’ points, ninth in the teams’ with Repsol, and with Alex Marquez and Bradl only 14th and 20th in the riders’ standings.
