Did Marc Marquez take unnecessary risk at Assen? "At home, it doesn't change"
Just a week earlier, the Repsol Honda rider had suffered a fractured rib ꦏand finger, plus ankle damage, in a war🧸m-up highside - his fifth and final accident of a punishing Sachsenring weekend.
It ruled the eight-time world champion out of the German MotoGP race, but he was back on his RCV just a few days later for Friday😼 practice in Assen.
Clearly struggling🦋 with pain from the rib, Marquez was a shadow of his usual self, managing just 19th on Friday, then 17th in qualifying and the Saturday Sprint race before the pain became too much to continue.
But Marꦅquez didn’t regret trying and insisted he would go into the summer break with ‘better confidence’ than if he had skipped the Dutch weeke♎nd entirely.
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“It’s not the best way [to go i🍰nto the summer break], but it's better than how I finished in Sachsenring,” Marquez said.
“In Sachsenri💛ng, I finished wiꦬth a massive highside.
“[At Assen] I finished with not the best feeling, but able tꦬo ride a MotoGP bike with one broken rib and one broken finger - and even like this be 7-8 tenths behind the fastest guys.
“So this gives me better confidence꧒ than after the Sunday in Sachsenrꦗing.”
Marquez added: “With the feeling of Sachsenring, to then be off the bike for two months [during the summer break], be🅠lieve me, that's not the best for a rider.
🐼“I needed to keep riding, keep g♈oing, keep trying… [Staying] at home, the situation will never change.”
Marq🔴uez began the season with pole and a Sprint race podium in Portimao, but then fractured his thumb when he collided with Miguel Oliveira 🌠in the Sunday race and missed the following three rounds.
Sunday accidents at Le Mans and Mugello combined with the early exits at Sachsenring and Assen means Marquez hasn't completed a single 'grand 🌸prix' race so far this season.
Despite his reduced track time, Marquez's 14 aꦐccidents so far this season is more than any o🎐ther rider.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valen🍎tino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit storౠy and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
