Marc Marquez, a fan favorite among many MotoGP patrons, is certainly off to a rough start for the 2022 season. After what could only be described as a nasty crash during the warm up sessions at the Indonesian GP, it’s a miracle that he came out unscathed—for the most part. Following a concussion due to the incident, Marquez was once again diagnosed with diplopia, and was forced to miss the Argentinian GP.
After receiving approval from his medical team, Marc Marquez will return to the MotoGP World Championship in Austin atop his Repsol Honda Team RC213V. As you may know, Marquez holds a special place in his heart for the Circuit of the Americas, or COTA. He is, in fact, the uncontested King of COTA, having won multiple races in a row at the Austin racetrack. The Repsol Honda Team rider is set to get back in action at Round 4 of the Grand Prix of The Americas after completing his comprehensive treatment plan. He verified that he was feeling much better before flying to the U.S., having trained on his CBR600RR on the Alcarras Circuit in Spain.
Marquez's track record in Texas is undeniably impressive; he has only missed out on victory once, when he crashed while confidently leading the charge back in 2019, ending his winning streak. Despite his legendary pace on the circuit, Marquez is not interested in bagging a win, and instead plans to take the opportunity to get back in shape with the Repsol Honda RC213V, and increase his confidence aboard the new machine.
In a press release published by the MotoGP, Marc Marquez said that he was excited to be back racing following a harrowing crash and extensive road to recovery.“Of course I am very happy to be back, it’s a great feeling to return and especially to do it at one of my favourite tracks. No matter the situation, I really enjoy riding in Texas and have incredible memories there. We have some work to do after missing two races and the whole Argentina weekend so I am not here to set one target at the moment. There’s many things to do and consider, but the important thing is that we are back on the bike this weekend.”
Meanwhile, Pol Espargaro, Marquez's teammate, arrives in the U.S. seeking redemption after falling out while pursuing a victory in Argentina. Despite a disappointing race weekend, Espargaro and his team set everything in position for a solid race that showcased the racer's and bike's capabilities. Espargaro finished in tenth place on the RC213V at Texas in 2021, his fourth top ten finish in Austin.
Aleix Espargaro, Pol's brother, leads the MotoGP World Championship after three races with a total of 45 points. He also guided Aprilia to their first ever MotoGP race victory, much to the satisfaction of the Aprilia Racing Team. Pol Espargaro is only 25 points behind his brother, and despite missing two races, Marquez is only 34 points behind the leader. With 18 races remaining and a possible 450 points on the line, the championship is still very much up for grabs.
