Marquez not cleared to finish Qatar test, will "push" doctor
Alex Marquez says he has not been cleared to complete the Qatar MotoGP test on Friday after fracturing his foot, but will push the circuit doctor to pass him fit.
The LCR Honda rider registered his fifth crash in four days of testing on Thursday when he highsided going through the Turn 9 right-hander.
The crash brought out a brief red flag and Marquez was subsequently diagnosed with a 2mm fracture on his right foot, which sidelined him for the rest of the day. Marquez says he has raced with a similar injury before and hopes to be cleared to ride tomorrow, but will only push for it if weather conditions don’t cause unnecessary risk.
Explaining his crash after ending the day 17th, he said: “Well, I was trying some important things again during the first part of the session because that part of the day is not for making laps because conditions are so different, and we will not have those conditions during any practice in the [race] weekend.
“I was focused on many things, and then I put in new tyres to make a time attack because it’s something I needed to improve. Making the time attack, I crashed. [It] was a highside in Turn 9, fortunately I’m OK. I have a small crack in my right foot.
“At the moment I’ve [been declared] not fit from the doctor, but tomorrow if we have a good weather and good conditions I will try to push the doctor to [pass me] fit because I feel good, I already race with this broken. So, I think it will not be a problem to be on the bike. But it’s a special doctor here in Qatar.”
There have been a number of crashes throughout the season, and though Marquez doesn’t feel this is out of the norm for a test, he did express some concern about the lack of feedback from the harder front tyre compounds.
“About crashes, I think everybody crashes,” he added. “Also yesterday I was with [Maverick] Vinales in the Clinica, he told me he crashed two times in the straight line with the front tyre.
“It’s a little bit difficult to understand the hard front tyre, but also the medium with the right side a little bit harder. [You get] no info and you lose the front so easy. So already today in the first [hours], I tried the hard and the medium one, and maybe the medium was a little bit better from the front tyre and it’s so easy to crash.
“[It] will be a little bit risky for the GP because we will have only five soft front tyres. So, we’ll need to manage, and FP1 and FP3 will not count for a lot.”
Related video
Previous article
Vinales fastest in Qatar MotoGP test, Marquez fractures foot
Next article
Qatar to offer MotoGP paddock COVID-19 vaccinations
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Event | Qatar March testing |
| Drivers | Alex Marquez |
| Author | Lewis Duncan |
MotoGP 2021 kicks off in Qatar
Mandalika Circuit update
MotoGP Starting Grid: Doha Grand Prix
MotoGP Starting Grid: Qatar Grand Prix
Top 10 most successful Repsol Honda Team riders
Where does Espargaro sit ahead of Marquez's return?
Pol Espargaro’s first results as a Honda MotoGP rider may not appear special. But dig a little deeper and a clearer picture of his performance emerges. And, as Lewis Duncan writes, it’s cause for celebration at Honda with the return of Marc Marquez set to provide Espargaro with the reference he has been missing so far this year
The "pit bull" MotoGP rookie already drawing legendary comparisons
MotoGP’s 2021 rookie crop is one of the strongest in recent years, but one is already standing out. Jorge Martin’s Doha GP heroics have courted many to compare him to numerous MotoGP legends. Autosport spoke to Pramac boss Francesco Guidotti to find out why MotoGP’s latest Spanish star is already making such an impact
Why MotoGP's stewards must revisit Miller and Mir's Losail clash
Despite Suzuki’s decision not to appeal against Race Direction’s refusal to penalise Jack Miller following the incident with Joan Mir in Losail, something must be done to avoid a repeat of such an incident, which could have easily ended in tragedy
Why MotoGP’s top gun looks more dangerous at the Doha GP
Lightning hasn't struck twice for Maverick Vinales since 2017 and his wayward form of recent years makes predicting how he'll fare each MotoGP race weekend tricky. But fresh from his Qatar GP win, Vinales looks like an even more dangerous prospect for the Doha GP following an intriguing Friday practice.
Why MotoGP’s new Amazon Prime series is long overdue
OPINION: MotoGP is getting its own version of Drive to Survive on Amazon Prime at some point in the near future. It was news welcomed by the grid’s leading riders. And following the impact DTS has had on Formula 1, MotoGP desperately needs the same boost.
The key changes behind the latest 'return of the Mack'
Maverick Vinales’s authoritative victory at the MotoGP season opener came during a period of personal and professional change for the Yamaha rider. Can it be the springboard for a title challenge?
Why Lorenzo needs to ditch social media and enjoy retirement
OPINION: Jorge Lorenzo's status as one of the greatest MotoGP riders of all time is hard to dispute. But his constant social media spats with fellow riders and insistence on listing his achievements to his detractors are running the risk of tarnishing a legacy he worked hard to create.
Can leaving a factory team end Rossi’s MotoGP win drought?
It is over three-and-a-half years since the Italian national anthem rang out to declare a Valentino Rossi victory in MotoGP. To some onlookers his move out of the factory Yamaha squad meant the 2017 Dutch TT could remain his final win, but after an encouraging transition at Petronas SRT hope is far from lost
