Spain's Marc Marquez rides his Honda during the qualifying session for the MotoGP Grand Prix of Italy at the Mugello circuit in Scarperia, Italy, Saturday, May 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni) |
Márquez has been the top rider in MotoGP for the past decade
after winning world titles in its top category in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018
and 2019. The Spaniard previously won two more world titles in lower
categories.
But he has struggled to return to his best since he broke
his right humerus in a crash in the 2020 season opener. Now he will go back
under the knife just 18 months since his last surgery.
“Unfortunately, I have to take a break from the 2022 season
that will keep me away from competition for a while,” Márquez said on Saturday.
“I have reduced the discomfort in my right arm to be able to compete at the
grands prix, but I still have significant limitations in my humerus that does
not allow me to ride the bike properly and achieve the goals I have always set
for myself.”
The operation will be at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. His
Repsol Honda team said Márquez will travel to the United States on Tuesday. He
will convalesce back in Spain.
The date of his return to competition will depend on the speed
of his recovery.
Márquez’s last race before surgery will be the Italian Grand
Prix on Sunday, when he will start from 11th on the grid. He is 10th in the
points standings. -AP