Repsol Honda ha🌞s officially confirmed that injured MotoGP champion Marc Marquez won't return for this weekend's opening Valencia round.
The news increases the probability that, as and unofficially conf💝irmed by HRC test rider Stefan Bradl at Aragon, Marquez is unlikely to be see🐲n again on track this season.
Only the pair of Valencia rounds then the Portimao finale now remain. But it is hard to imagi🐈ne the ever-competitive Marquez letting his rivals have the 'head start' of taking part in Valencia 1 before joining them on track in Valencia 2.
As a new MotoGP event, Por๊timao would offer the levelest playing field for a rider that has missed almost the entire season.
But so far there have been none of the motocross or flat track training videos that preceded his return to MotoGP action after major shoulde♛r sur🙈gery for the last two winters.
Although doing gym work, running and cycling, the lack of footage of Marquez on a motorcycle several months after his accident continues to fuel rumour🧔s that his arm may n♔ot be healing as well as expected.
In its report, Mundo Deportivo suggested a third operation is being conside☂red, prompting Repsol Honda to state: "Marc Marquez’s recovery is proceeding as planned. While it is a long and intense recovery, Marc and those [in] his team have no cause for concern."
Marquez broke hi💦s right arm in the Jerez season-opener in late Juℱly, but then needed a second surgery when the titanium plate fitted to the initial fracture failed, due to the accumulated stress of attempting an early return the following weekend.
While it is known that 12 pins and a plate were inserted in the first operation - Marquez even posting an X-rꦯay on social media - details oᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚf the second operation to replace the broken plate remain scarce.
The only timef🍰rame issued by HRC since Marquez's second operation was a 'two-three months' estimate, p𝄹rovided on August 22, meaning somewhere between October 22 and November 22.
Portimao takes place on November 22, with Marque🐻z previously commenting: 🔯"I hope to be there."
If not, many will fear the arm recovery is indeed 💎proving much more c🅠omplicated than expected.
Meanwhile, Bradl w𝄹ill continue in place of the #93 this weekenꦑd, alongside Alex Marquez.
“I am ve🐈ry pleased that the Repsol Honda Team have continued to put their faith in me and return to ride the RC213V again," Bradl said. "We have done some testing at Valencia in the past and in Aragon we made a good step with the bike, I think we can have a good weekend here and again battle with riders further ahead as we did in Aragon and Le Mans as well.
"Always at around this time of the year in Valencia the te🔴mperature, especially in the morning, can be critical so we will have to pay attention to this.”
Pe🌟ter has been in the paddock for 20 years𒅌 and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.