Injured Honda rider Marc Marquez will attend the next MotoGP round, in Austria, for updates on development of their bike.
Marquez has been out of action since May’s Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, after which he flew to the United States for a fourth operation on the right arm which he badly broke in the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix.
The six-time premier class champion has stayed away from the paddock since then, although the Repsol Honda Team has provided regular updates on his progress, unlike the secrecy it has previously attempted to maintain.
However, Marquez will be onsite at the Red Bull Ring, where track activity begins on Friday week, to see for himself how his team is faring.
He will check in not only with crew chief Santi Hernandez and test rider Stefan Bradl, who continues to fill in for him, but also staff from Japan.
“Honda is in a critical moment,” said the Spaniard.
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“I am speaking a lot with my team and trying to understand the 2022 bike, the situation and what is happening.
“This is why I will go to Austria, to speak to everyone and to meet with the HRC staff from Japan to work for the future.
“We are all working together, we win together, we lose together, and we will come back together.
“I’m speaking a lot with Stefan Bradl as well, us and Santi are working together and testing things – both know how I ride.
“I said in Mugello that I will be at home, but I want to stay connected.
“With the previous operation I disconnected too much, and I want to be involved so that when I come back, I will have everything fresh.”
Honda was already struggling before its talisman was sidelined again, with no more podiums since Pol Espargaro’s third place in Round 1.
In fact, it scored no points at all at the German Grand Prix, the first time that has occurred since the 1982 French Grand Prix.
Marquez’s rehabilitation, on the other hand, has been progressing steadily since surgery at the start of June.
He began physiotherapy midway through last month and, according to Honda, recovery is beginning to “intensify” again.
The 29-year-old’s gym work now includes strengthening his right arm, and he is in regular contact with his medical team.
“His current training regime focuses on running, swimming, and resistance training in the gym with elastics,” read Honda’s update, in part.
“Each week weight and resistance are slowly added to increase strength without putting too much demand on the body.”
Marquez himself commented, “Step by step I am feeling better, and the bone is healing in a good way, which is the best news of all.
“We are still in rehabilitation mode; I am working very hard on the cardio side to try and be ready.
“At the end of August, I have another medical check, from there we can make another step with the rehabilitation and really start pushing and building muscles.
“Some days are better than others, but this is all part of the journey.
“I’m optimistic, but I don’t want to say too much about timings until we have this check – it’s not the time to push too much.
“I have waited a long time for these kinds of feelings.”
The Austrian MotoGP round takes place on August 19-21.
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