Marquez to miss Americas GP after hand injury
Marc Marquez will miss this weekend's MotoGP Americas Grand Prix in Austin as he continues to recover from a hand injury, according to Honda.
In the Portuguese Grand Prix, the eight-time world champion fractured the first metacarpal in his right hand after a contentious collision with RNF Aprilia rider Miguel Oliveira.
The incident, which occurred on the third lap of the opening race of the 2023 season, resulted in Marquez receiving a double long lap penalty to be served initially at the Argentina GP.
As a result of undergoing surgery the Monday following the Portuguese Grand Prix, Marquez was ruled out of the Argentina race, and it was believed that his penalty would go unpunished.
A reissued statement from the FIM stewards on the Tuesday following Portugal resulted in Marquez's sanction being deferred to the next round in which he would be able to compete, prompting Honda to file a protest that will now be heard by the Court of Appeals.
Marquez was expected to return for this weekend's Americas GP in Austin, but he and his crew have decided to sit out so that he can resume his recovery after a final scan this week.
Following a final CAT scan, Marc Marquez and his medical team at the Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid, headed by Dr. Ignacio Roger de Ona, confirmed the first metacarpal is still in the healing process, according to a statement from Honda.
"After thorough consultation with the Repsol Honda Team and HRC, all parties have decided to allow the injury to recover completely and avoid unnecessary risks.
"Marquez will continue his rehabilitation programme at home so that he can return to full health as soon as possible."
The next race Marquez will compete in is the Spanish Grand Prix on April 30.
With the addition of sprint races to the weekend format in 2023, Marquez's title prospects will be dealt another setback by his second consecutive non-start.
He is currently 16th in the standings with seven points, 43 points behind new championship leader Marco Bezzecchi.
Honda has not yet announced whether it will deploy a replacement for Marquez or whether teammate Joan Mir will be eligible to compete in the Americas GP after missing the Argentina GP due to an ankle injury.
This week, HRC conducted a private test at Jerez with Stefan Bradl, who was putting a new Kalex-made chassis through its trials.
Oliveira, who was forced to miss the Argentina Grand Prix due to tendon injury he sustained in a collision with Marc Marquez in Portugal, will fly to the Circuit of the Americas to endure tests by MotoGP's medical team in an effort to compete this weekend.
