Marc Marquez cleared to start Italian MotoGP weekend

Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez has been declared fit to ride ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix (29–31 May).

Marc Marquez has been sidelined since Saturday at the French Grand Prix (9 May) when he fractured a bone in his right foot. 

That fracture required surgery, which kept him out of the French Grand Prix on 10 May as well as the Catalan Grand Prix weekend on 15–17 May, and the Spaniard also underwent surgery to remove a loose screw in his right shoulder that had been determined the cause of his underwhelming start to the season as it pressed on a nerve in his shoulder but only when riding.

The Ducati Lenovo Team rider confirmed earlier this week that he would be making his return to racing at Mugello this weekend for his team’s home race, although this was pending a medical review on Thursday morning (28 May).

Marquez has now passed that medical assessment this morning and has therefore been cleared to ride. However, he will have to have his condition reassessed after FP1 on Friday morning to reconfirm his ability to complete the weekend.

Marquez is not the only returning rider this weekend as Cal Crutchlow is set to line up for the first time since 2023 as he replaces the injured Johann Zarco.

Zarco was one of two riders to be injured at the Catalan MotoGP a couple of weeks ago, the Frenchman sustaining knee ligament damage when he crashed at the first corner on the first of two restarts. Zarco’s injury will also keep him out of the Suzuka 8 Hours, where Honda confirmed today he will be replaced by Somkiat Chantra.

The restart Zarco crashed in came after a crash for Alex Marquez which resulted in several injuries for the Gresini Racing rider after he hit the back of Pedro Acosta’s KTM, which encountered a technical problem. Marquez’s injuries included a fracture to his C7 vertebra as he tumbled down the grass along the side of the back straight between turns nine and 10. He will be replaced by Michele Pirro in Italy.