Alex Marquez 'to be reviewed' after FP1 at German MotoGP
Alex Marquez gets the green light to start this weekend’s German MotoGP after Assen hand injury.
MotoGP title contender Alex Marquez has been 'declared fit' to begin this weekend’s German MotoGP at Sachsenring.
However, his condition will be 'reviewed' again after Friday's opening practice session.
The Gresini Ducati rider, currently second in the world championship behind brother Marc, sustained a fracture in his left hand after tangling with Pedro Acosta last time at Assen.
“I was quite unfortunate, because I crashed and the initial impact on my right side was fine,” Marquez told MotoGP.com.
“But later on, with my hand on the ground, I hit something. I don't know it was a hole in the grass, the kerb or something else.
“I felt a big impact on my hand and I already felt something wasn’t good.
“It felt like a dislocation of the finger, but in the end was also broken.
“After that I [had surgery] to close it. Now I prefer to look forward, we're here in Sachsenring.
"I had the medical review from Doctor Charte. I have no goals, no objective, just FP1. Later on, we need to check again and review.
“So I will go session by session, trying to listen to my body.
"I feel that I'm fit to ride the MotoGP bike, that’s the reason I’m here, but I will be realistic if some pain suddenly appears or something that I didn't expect.”
Wet weather is forecast this weekend, could that help?
"It can help about how you need to react on the bike. You need to be smoother, use less power," Alex replied.
"But also it's increasing the risk of crashing, so it's not good!
"It's a balance. I prefer the dry, honestly speaking, because you have strange crashes in the wet."
Alex Marquez and Acosta were engaged in a tussle over fourth place when Marquez’s front brake lever made contact with Acosta, locking the Ducati’s front wheel and sending the Gresini rider down at high speed.
The FIM MotoGP Stewards ruled it was a racing incident.
Marquez was diagnosed with a fracture to the second metacarpal in his left hand and returned immediately to Madrid for surgery.
Acosta, who went on to finish fourth, also ended the day in hospital after an allergic reaction to an insect sting. Fortunately, all symptoms subsided, and he was given the all-clear.
Both riders will now be back on track for FP1 at the Sachsenring.
Alex, who memorably finished on the podium alongside Marc as a team-mate at Gresini last season, starts this weekend 68 points behind the title leader but 58 clear of Francesco Bagnaia.
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Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
