The decision was made during the Italian Mot🍌oGP weekend, after a phone call from doctors analysing his injury in America.

Marquez, who went on to claim tenth place in Sunday’s race, said he breathed a sigh of relief at being told doctors had identified a clear problem that can be addressed to improve his arm mobility, making💛 the decision to operate - for a🍃 fourth time - ‘easy’.

Younger brother Alex confirmed: “It took some weight off his shoulders. I think now he's more happy. [On Saturday] 🔯we went into my hospitality to have dinner and he was really happy, relaxed.

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“This is the best way that he can approach this situatio🔯n. Before the other surgeries, he was more worried. He knows that this one is complicated but a little bit less complicated than the other one.

“So he's relaxed, happy. And not only him, but all the family and his team too🍸k a little bit of weight [off their shoulders].”

Although Marc’s recovery time is unclear, the eight-time world chamꦆpion spoke of turning his attention to 2023 and most belie𝕴ve it will be at least several months before he’s back on a MotoGP bike.

Alex, who finished the Mugello race in 14th for the LCR team, said that he’s happy to help Hondaꦉ with extra tes🤡ting duties during his brother’s absence.

“I already said to Honda, I’m open to try things. I'm open to work. I'm ready for that. I think my feedback is not bad and always similar to Marc,” sa💧id the #73.

“So, I'm open for that challenge if Honda wants to have my opinion. I will be open to try everything, to try to improve our bike. There✅’s still a lot of season to go and we want a better bike to ﷺenjoy the second half.”

‘Problem is not the engine’

Despite im𓆏pressive winter testing form, Honda’s all-new RCV has only taken one podium, in the hands of P🙈ol Espargaro, so far this year.

“The good news is that the problem is not on the engine,” Alex Marquez said, refe☂rring to the in-season ban on engine modificati🎃ons. “The problem is more about the chassis and the [geometry]. So it's something that is open [for development] and we can make a lot of modifications.

“So I hope🎐 and I believe that we can have a better bike because last year after the summer break we did a really good step forward. And I hop🎶e this year we can make the same.”