Marc Marquez Reveals Grueling Recovery Journey and New Approach to MotoGP After Career-Threatening Injury

Marc Marquez discusses the impact of a significant injury on his MotoGP racing strategy

“It’s more challenging now…”

Marc Marquez states that he needs to put in twice the effort on his physical conditioning to stay competitive in MotoGP after his significant arm injury in 2020.

The career of the eight-time world champion was threatened after he severely fractured his right arm during the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix. This injury necessitated three surgeries and caused him to sit out the entire season.

Upon his return to racing in 2021, he continued to experience difficulties with his arm because the bone was misaligned by more than 30 degrees, requiring him to undergo a fourth significant surgery in 2022.

Although his arm now appears to be trouble-free while he rides, Marquez mentions that maintaining his physical condition requires considerably more effort compared to the period when he secured six MotoGP world championships from 2013 to 2019.

"It's more challenging to stay competitive now," Marquez commented following his second grand prix win of 2024 at the San Marino GP.

"Up until 2019 or 2020, I was extremely fast and strong. I can honestly say I didn't have to work as hard at home because everything came more easily to me."

"Given everything that has occurred in my life, particularly the changes to my body, I now have to put in twice the effort. I need to visit the physiotherapist more frequently and perform additional maintenance."

"However, this is what I must do to remain at the highest level."

"I'm prepared to go ahead with it. It's true that I need to spend more time getting my body ready, but this is my profession and I will do what is necessary. If I'm competing, it's because I am capable of doing it."

A key reason for Marquez's departure from Honda at the end of last year was the physical strain he endured to regain full fitness, which wasn't met with a competitive bike from HRC.

Switching to Gresini to race on a year-old Ducati was a test to determine if he could remain competitive in MotoGP.

Indeed, in 2024, Marquez observed that his mental fortitude has been increasingly improving.

He mentioned that physically, things have deteriorated since his body was in decent shape around 2019.

"Sure, it's now acceptable to compete on the race track against the leading contenders."

"Naturally, I have to put in more effort when working from home. However, mentally, I am beginning to feel increasingly stronger."

“The races at Aragon, the Red Bull Ring, and San Marino boosted my confidence.”

"In Aragon, I’ve always performed well. However, [at Misano] being out in front and creating a lead… sometimes you lose touch with that sensation, but today I managed to experience it again."

Explore Further

Sign Up for Our MotoGP Newsletter

Receive the newest updates, exclusive content, interviews, and special offers from the MotoGP paddock straight to your email.

For further details, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Breaking Updates

Additional Stories

Site Index

Crash.Net

©1999-2024 Crash Media Group

It is prohibited to reproduce any part or all of the text, photos, or images in any manner.