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Alex Marquez to Miss Qatar GP for Surgery
Alex Marquez will miss this weekend's Qatar Grand Prix after shoulder surgery in Madrid. He aims to return at Portimao.
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Why is Alex Marquez missing the Qatar Grand Prix?
Alex Marquez will not race at this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix at the Lusail International Circuit. The 30-year-old Spanish rider had surgery on his right shoulder in Madrid on Monday 2 November.
Marquez rides for BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP, an independent satellite squad. A satellite team buys its bikes and technical help from a major factory manufacturer instead of building its own machines from scratch. Marquez has dealt with ongoing shoulder trouble since the spring.
Riding a premier-class MotoGP bike puts huge physical strain on the upper body. As shown in our guide to how MotoGP riders train, steering and braking need great core and shoulder strength. Swelling in a joint makes racing at Top speedThe fastest a bike goes on a lap, reached at the end of the longest straight — around 350 km/h or more at the quickest circuits.Read the full guide → almost impossible.
What caused the shoulder injury?
The trouble began back in May. During the Catalan Grand Prix weekend, Marquez suffered a heavy crash. The fall broke his collarbone and damaged his right shoulder.
Surgeons fitted a metal plate to fix the broken bone so he could keep racing. Over recent months, however, Marquez developed bursitis. This painful condition occurs when the small, fluid-filled sacs that cushion joint bones and tendons become swollen.
Marquez explained that painkillers no longer gave him enough relief to ride comfortably. During Monday’s operation, surgeons removed the metalwork from his right collarbone and left hand and also removed (excised) the inflamed bursa. The procedure went ahead without any complications.
Who will replace him at Gresini in Qatar?
Iker Lecuona will replace him at BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP for the Qatar round. Teams facing an empty seat often turn to factory reserve riders. We explain this role in our guide to what a test rider does in MotoGP.
Lecuona has already raced for Gresini this season, so he knows the team and the bike.
Team-mate Fermin Aldeguer is set to return in Qatar after hand surgery.
What does this mean for Alex Marquez and the championship?
Marquez currently sits eighth in the world championship standings with 197 points. Just one day before surgery, he finished third in the Grand Prix of Malaysia at Sepang. That podium finish proved his speed, even while riding through pain.
The 2014 Moto3 and 2019 Moto2 world champion will now begin his recovery at home. His clear goal is to return at the round after Qatar, the Portuguese Grand Prix at the hilly Portimao circuit.
Missing Qatar prevents Marquez from gaining points this weekend. However, stepping aside allows him to heal properly. Meanwhile, his brother Marc Marquez leads the championship on 399 points. Marc is the only rider who could secure the title this weekend, though Jorge Martin, Marco Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta still have a mathematical chance.
Quick Takeaways
- Alex Marquez will miss this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix after surgery in Madrid on Monday 2 November.
- Surgeons removed metalwork from his right collarbone and left hand and excised an inflamed bursa linked to his Catalan Grand Prix crash in May.
- Iker Lecuona will replace him at BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP in Qatar.
- Marquez aims to recover in time for the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao.
- He currently holds eighth place in the riders’ championship with 197 points.
Quick questions
- Q.Why is Alex Marquez having surgery now?
- Marquez developed bursitis in his right shoulder after a crash in May. He chose surgery now because painkillers no longer eased his pain while riding.
- Q.When does Alex Marquez plan to return?
- He aims to return to racing at the Portuguese Grand Prix at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, the round following Qatar.
- Q.Who is replacing Alex Marquez at Gresini in Qatar?
- Iker Lecuona will ride for BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP in Qatar while Marquez recovers.
- Q.What is bursitis in MotoGP?
- Bursitis is swelling in the fluid-filled sacs that cushion joints like the shoulder. MotoGP bikes put huge strain on a rider's arms under braking and cornering. An inflamed shoulder makes controlling the bike painful and hard.
