The Honda team announced that Spanish rider Marc Marquez will not participate in the MotoGP Dutch Grand Prix at the Assen circuit due to injuries he suffered last week at Sachsenring that have been aggravated at Assen. In a statement posted on its website and on Twitter, Honda stated that Marquez has been declared unfit to compete in the race.
Marquez explained in a press conference that after Saturday’s sprint race, his chest pains intensified, prompting him to visit the medical center and notify them that he would be unable to participate in the race. Although an earlier medical check-up in Madrid had been reassuring despite a fractured rib, a subsequent examination revealed a slight displacement of the fractured rib, leading him to make the decision not to race as a precaution to prevent the injury from worsening.
Marquez currently sits in 19th place in the overall MotoGP World Championship standings. During last weekend’s race in Germany, the rider suffered five crashes, including a heavy fall in the warm-up session that caused him to fracture a finger on his left hand and forced him to withdraw from the race at Sachsenring, one of his favorite circuits, where he has eleven victories in different categories.
At Assen, Marquez also suffered two crashes on Friday and Saturday and finished 17th in the sprint race. The 30-year-old has not won a race since the 2021 season, and this season he has been absent in five of the eight grands prix and has failed to finish any long races in 2023. Marquez is in a difficult period of his career, but he stated that he is surrounded by good support both in his personal life and on the team. Although there have been rumors about his possible departure from Honda, Marquez stated that it is not the right time to talk about his future and that his main goal is to regain his physical condition and feel capable of racing again. Alberto Puig, director of Honda Racing, mentioned that they have a contract with Marquez and hope he will continue with them next year, but also stated that Honda would not retain someone who is unhappy and that an exit is not being considered at this time.