Alex Marquez out of Indian and Japanese MotoGPs with rib fractures

Peter McLaren's picture
23 Sep 2023
Alex Marquez, MotoGP, Indian MotoGP, 23 September

Alex Marquez has been declared unfit for the remainder of the Indian MotoGP and will also miss next weekend's Japanese round after suffering three rib fractures in qualifying.

The Gresini Ducati rider had just claimed a top two place in Qualifying 1 when he highsided from his Desmosedici and was immediately seen grabbing the left side of his chest.

Helped away by marshals, Marquez missed Qualifying 2 while in the medical centre and was then transported to a local hospital for further checks before returning to the track.

"I feel sad," Marquez said. "Apart from the painin my ribs, more I'm sad for the team to miss India and to miss also Japan. But life sometimes is like this.

"I was really fast in FP2 in the morning and also in Q1. I just did a mistake when I went into Turn 5 a little bit faster and I was on the dirty side, I opened the throttle and just had a big highside.

"I will fly home today or tomorrow and try to recover, do everything that I can. Some physio and all that. And then cross my fingers to come back in Indonesia."