Marc Marquez has suffered yet another injury on his long road to recovery. He was diagnosed with another episode of double visionor double vision, after his superb header in the morning warm-up before the Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika.
Marquez was deemed unfit after the collision, and did not participate in the race at Mandalika. At the time, he was screened for fractures and traumatic brain injury, but the scans were unremarkable.
However, fearing a concussion, Marquez was not allowed to ride, a decision he and his team supported. However, on his return trip to Spain, he began to have vision problems again.
When he arrived in Barcelona, he saw an ophthalmologist who had treated him for previous double visions, and he was again diagnosed with double vision.
The only glimmer in this situation is that this wave is less severe than the previous one he suffered at the end of 2021.
There is no scheduled reopening for Marquez. He will begin the same conservative treatment and regimen, and will undergo new exams next week, to determine how long his recovery may take.
While the press release gives no indication as to when Marquez might race again, it is unlikely he will participate in Argentina or Austin, as those two races are head-to-head.
The injury was a major blow for Marquez, another in a long string of physical problems, which began with surgery on his left shoulder to prevent it from dislocating in late 2018, then followed. was the same surgery on his left shoulder in late 2019, and a complicated recovery from that.
At his first race of 2020 in Jerez, Marquez was involved in a violent collision in Round 4, in which he was hit by a bicycle and fractured his right arm. Once trying to come back a week later, Tam was holding his arms together severely weakened, causing a lengthy period of recovery due to infected and unhealed humus.
Marquez began slowly recovering his form throughout the 2021 season, and was only hitting his stride when he crashed on an enduro bike, continuing to damage a nerve in his right eye without causing damage. he got hurt initially at Sepang in 2011, at the end of his first game. season in Moto2.
Dr. Sanchez Dalmau, the specialist who treated Marquez, has decided not to have surgery and the Spaniard will recover with a course of physical therapy.
Marquez’s collision with Mandalika was so severe that he hit his head, damaging the nerve that controls the muscles in his eye again.
The collision occurred at morning start-up, when the back of his Honda plowed into him at junction 7 on a closed throttle, before gripping and then viciously knocking him and flying. up in the air. Marquez fell heavily, fortunately no more serious injuries.
The crash came after all Hondas and Suzukis complained of a lack of rear grip due to the stiffer rear tires Michelin had brought to the race, fearing the extreme tropical heat would cause damage. caused problems for the tires used in the test.
There were instances during the weekend when there was a sudden drop in the rear, as clouds and wet conditions caused track temperatures to be much lower than expected.
Marquez’s injury will raise questions about when, and if, he will return. But speaking during the Sepang test, the Repsol Honda driver accepted the risk of re-injury if he had a collision.
“This is a point where when I talk to my doctor, that is my first question. If I have a problem on the test in Malaysia, what are the chances of creating the same problem again? And the answer is clear: chances are you will in two years. The nerve problem is there. If you crash tomorrow or you crash in two years and you touch that nerve again, it’s going to hurt. ”
Marquez knows the risks and accepts them. How this injury affects his mind and his ability and willingness to race remains to be seen. But this, yet another in a long line of incidence, will surely test his resolve.
Photo: Repsol Honda
