Pol Espargaro will be the Repsol Honda Team’s sole rider in this weekend’s MotoGP season finale at Valencia, as Marc Marquez remains sidelined.
Then, it was Honda test rider Stefan Bradl who filled the breach, as he had done when #93 missed most of last season and the first two rounds of 2021 due to his badly broken arm.
However, the German has not been called up this time around, meaning only #44 will be in the garage at the Valencia Grand Prix.
“On Tuesday it was announced that Marc Marquez will miss both the Valencia Grand Prix and the Jerez Test due to diplopia after a training crash,” read the works Honda team’s pre-event press release, in part.
“The Repsol Honda Team have elected not to field a replacement for the Valencia GP weekend.”
Espargaro, who moved across from KTM in the last off-season, is enjoying his best run of form to results with Honda.
The Spaniard has five top 10 finishes in the last six races, including his first podium on an RC213V at Misano, two rounds ago, and is hoping to continue that form.
“First I want to wish Marc all the best during this difficult time and I hope he can recover soon and well,” said Espargaro.
“His absence will of course be felt at the track, but we arrive in Valencia still motivated to do our job the best we can.
“It’s a circuit that I really enjoy a lot, I achieved my first MotoGP podium there in 2018 and I think we can do well there this year.
“The circuit is very cold at this time of year and this is good for us. It’s the last race, I want to continue the speed from the last races to end well before 2022 begins in Jerez.”
Marquez will also miss the post-season test which takes place at Jerez on November 18-19.
Practice at Valencia starts tomorrow night (AEDT).
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