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Marc Marquez is suspected to have suffered a hand fracture in the first grand prix of the MotoGP season at Portimao, where he caused a multi-bike accident.
The six-time MotoGP champion seemed to get his braking wrong while running in fourth place at the start of the Sunday race’s third lap, colliding with Pramac Ducati’s Jorge Martin and then hitting RNF Aprilia’s Miguel Oliveira at speed.
Two of the big hitters are OUT! 😮
The luckless @_moliveira88 is collected by @marcmarquez93 on the brakes into Turn 3! 💥
Hopefully Miguel is all OK 🤞#PortugueseGP 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/fcoWDOPyT8
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 26, 2023
The broadcast showed Marquez visit the RNF Aprilia garage in the aftermath to apologise, with Oliveira in the medical centre at that point.
But while x-rays turned up no broken bones for Oliveira, who is initially thought to have got away with a right upper leg contusion, Marquez was seen in the paddock with a cast on his right arm.
According to MotoGP, the Spaniard will be examined for “a possible fracture to the first metacarpal bone” on his right hand at the Dexeus hospital in Barcelona – suggesting the trauma does not carry the urgency for him to go to the local hospital in Portugal.
However, with Marquez declared unfit, he may naturally miss next weekend’s round in Argentina.
If so, he would be the third full-timer sidelined for the Termas de Rio Hondo races, with Pol Espargaro and Enea Bastianini sent to hospital with injuries earlier in the weekend.
