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Repsol-Honda announced on Tuesday that world champion Marc Marquez will not return until 2021. But rumors of an even longer hiatus persist. Will Andrea Dovizioso replace him?
Since Honda and Repsol only fragmentarily revealed themselves with the bitter truth after the two operations in July and August, bad news relating to Marc Marquez has repeatedly reached the public from Spain. Back in August, SPEEDWEEK.com heard that the famous domestic accident had been diagnosed with a broken rubble, and it was questionable whether the Spaniard would ever be able to race in MotoGP again.
But Honda reacted to this in mid-August with a reassuring first statement saying the break would now take two to three months. In October it was announced in a nutshell that the recovery was progressing well, when a third operation was reported in Spain with reference to the area around Marquez, which would have involved a much longer recovery period.
A return in October seemed possible at any time. Stefan Bradl has only been called up for the next race. Today we know it was just a cover-up so as not to reveal the gravity of the situation.
Well-informed sources in Spain have been hearing for weeks: Marquez has to undergo a third operation, he could miss two or three or more races in 2021.
Even before Aragón’s first GP two weeks ago, Stefan Bradl announced in an interview with SPEEDWEEK.com that he no longer expected the eight-time world champion to return in 2020.
The new speculations could also shed a different light on Andrea Dovizioso’s decision to take a surprise break in 2021, even if there was no shortage of offers for test driver contracts and Aprilia would still have a regular driver’s seat available.
Now it may also become clear why “Dovi” has signed a test contract with neither Honda nor Yamaha: he has excellent chances of competing in an indefinite number of world championship races with Repsol-Honda in 2021.
Dovi was already under contract with Repsol-Honda for three years from 2009 to 2011 and won the Donington GP in 2009. Furthermore, the 15-time MotoGP winner won the 125 World Championship on a Honda in 2004.
«In recent months I have received offers from some manufacturers to work as a test driver in the development of their MotoGP projects in 2021. This has made me happy, I am grateful to be appreciated. Despite these possibilities, I have decided not to get involved and to remain free from formal obligations for the moment, “Dovi said on social media on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old Italian, three-time vice world champion after 2017, added significantly: “Now I am focused on finishing the world championship in the best possible way and I have already started working out some plans for the future with my partners” .
Official Ducati rider Dovizioso only announced that he would be free from commitments “for the moment”. This wording appears to have been carefully chosen and leaves everything open for the foreseeable future.
It is now also clear why Marc Marquez manager Emilio Alzamora reacted so angry when the Honda managers did not stop his protégé from returning to the second Jerez GP. Many doctors still do not understand why a plate with screws instead of a much more stable intramedullary nail was then implanted.
Apparently, the upper arm had already been damaged much more severely in the fall of July 19 than was reported to the public.
And now it can be felt that the condition of the humerus is even worse than expected. The bone has shrunk structurally due to the two difficult operations, which makes it more difficult for the callus to form. Because during the operations it was necessary to drill several holes in the bone for the screws, which further affected him. Now even a bone transplant seems to have become inevitable. And it can take months to heal and several Grands Prix in 2021.
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