Marc Marquez out until November after Indonesia MotoGP crash

Ducati has announced that reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez will miss the next two grands prix due to a shoulder injury but will not need surgery.

The 32-year-old was involved in a lap one collision with Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi on Sunday at the Indonesian Grand Prix, which left him with a fractured right collarbone.

Marc Marquez returned to Spain on Sunday evening to evaluate his recovery options on Monday, with the medical team at the Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid diagnosing him with a “fracture at the base of the coracoid process and a ligament injury to his right shoulder”.

Further examination found he did not aggravate any prior injuries to his right arm and significant bone displacement was not found.

As such, Dr. Samuel Antuna and Dr. Ignacio Roger de Ona have advised against surgery and a rehabilitation process of rest and immobilisation of the injury area.

Ducati has announced, as a result, that Marquez will sit out the upcoming Australian and Malaysian Grand Prix, with the world champion not expected to return until at least November’s Portuguese Grand Prix.

“Fortunately, the injury isn’t severe, but it’s important to respect the recovery timeline,” he said.

“My goal is to be back before the end of the season, but without rushing things beyond the doctors’ recommendations.

“Both my personal and the team’s main goals have been achieved, so now the  priority is to recover properly and return at 100%.”

Marquez’s injury woes come just a week after he won a seventh MotoGP world title and first in six years at the Japanese Grand Prix, which came five years on from the serious arm break he suffered in 2020.

The Spaniard branded the tangle with Bezzecchi as a racing incident and called for calm among his fans on Sunday evening, following social media backlash towards the Aprilia rider.

Marquez’s cautious approach to this injury was hinted at on Sunday when he spoke to the media, with the Ducati rider keen to avoid unnecessary risk given the problems he experienced five years ago with his arm.

Bezzecchi escaped serious injury and faces a stewards’ investigation when he goes to Australia next week.

Ducati has not announced a replacement for Marquez yet, though will likely call on test rider Michele Pirro, who has not been able to make any wildcard appearances this year under the current concession rules.