Marc Marquez has revealed that he received advice from fellow Honda MotoGP hero Mick Doohan about dealing with a serious injury.
Doohan went on to win five straight 500cc world championship titles, from 1994 to 1998, after a shocking crash at Assen in 1992 which almost led to him losing a leg.
The Australian had his legs sewn together to stave off amputation, while Marquez underwent three operations after breaking his right arm in the 2020 season-opener.
Having missed every other race that year, plus the first two of 2021, the Spaniard is still struggling for fitness and has finished no higher than seventh since coming back.
With Doohan in the Mugello paddock at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, Honda’s current superstar had the opportunity to seek his counsel.
“We have a chance to talk with Mick and it was interesting, important for me also,” said Marquez.
“Maybe someday I will explain what we spoke about.
“But it was a very nice talk and we speak together and it’s good to know his experience.
“It helps me and I appreciated a lot all the advice from Mick Doohan because he’s one of my heroes and he passed a similar situation.
“I was like a kid in school, just listening and trying to remember everything he said.”
Marquez was 15th-fastest in Friday practice at this weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix, 0.885s away from the pace set by Pramac Ducati rider Johann Zarco.
The Repsol Honda rider is still wanting for fitness, and ongoing shoulder soreness means he cannot position himself on his bike as he would like.
However, he feels better than he did at the same stage of the Italian Grand Prix.
“About the arm, of course for example today when I started I tried not to think about the arm,” recalled Marquez.
“But immediately I feel two, three points on the circuit where I needed to adapt the position. For example, here it’s Turns 3, 4 and last two turns, because it’s downhill corners.
“At the end of the straight, for example, where it’s a hard brake point, I don’t have any limitation. I can brake where I want and I can have my riding style.
“But of course, if there’s some movement on the bike, some shaking exiting the corners, then also I cannot control well.
“But it’s true that compared to the Friday of Mugello and Friday of Montmelo [Barcelona-Catalunya], I feel much better.
“It’s true that the result is the same, but the general feeling of the body was better.”
Meanwhile, Suzuki rider Alex Rins is sitting out this weekend’s round after suffering a broken arm of his own but has already undergone surgery and could be back in time for the following grand prix, in Germany.
The Spaniard had a bicycle accident on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on the eve of opening practice, with suggestions that he ran into a stationary van.
Practice for Round 7 of the season resumes this evening, before qualifying from 22:10 AEST.
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