Reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez has visited the paddock for the first time since suffering damage to his badly-broken right arm after attempting to come back from injury at the second round of the 2020 season.
Breaking the humerus in a high-speed crash at Jerez in the opening race of the year, he suffered further injury the following weekend when attempting a comeback.
Initially expected to miss a number of races, that was later revised to a two-to-three month recovery time after suspected trauma to his radial nerve as well as the broken bone.
Stepping into the paddock on Thursday in Barcelona ahead of this weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix, he says he made the hour-long trip from his home in Cervera just to talk with his team, and that he will watch the weekend’s on-track action from home.
“I came to visit the team and the Japanese staff, because it was important to have a meeting with them to already start preparing the 2021 season,” said Marquez.
“I would like to see the bike and the team too!
“I feel better, step by step. Every week I improve a lot, and I’m just waiting to see what the doctors say and to try and come back as soon as possible.”
Speculation within the MotoGP paddock in Barcelona has suggested the Honda rider could return as soon as in two weeks’ time.
He is believed to be considering riding at the French Grand Prix in Le Mans in early October, before going on to race at the following two races at Motorland Aragon in consecutive weeks.
That speeds up the timeline that was initially suggested last weekend in Misano, when it was hinted that he would aim for a return at Aragon, a track near his home where he has enjoyed considerable success in the past.
Given the unusual nature of the 2020 season, it remains mathematically possible for Marquez to win the championship should he manage a return in the coming month.
Thanks to a number of issues and DNFs among the title favourites in a year where a de facto favourite has failed to emerge, Andrea Dovizioso currently leads with 84 points – almost half the 140 points Marquez himself had scored after the same number of races last year.
There would still be 150 points left to play for in the remaining six races of the year, too, meaning that a run of form like Marquez enjoyed in 2019 – where his worst finish was second place – could well be enough to launch a late title bid.
