Alex Marquez “tired” but exceeding expectations in MotoGP injury return

Having missed a month of racing through injury, Alex Marquez has been able to return to MotoGP this weekend at the Czech Grand Prix (19–21 June) and has exceeded his expectations on day one.

Marquez was sidelined with multiple injuries, including fractures to his C7 vertebra, when he crashed at the Catalan MotoGP in May. He was forced to miss the Italian and Hungarian grands prix as a result.

Returning this weekend in Czechia, Marquez finished 15th in Practice, 0.8 seconds off the lap record set by Ai Ogura who topped the times on Friday afternoon.

This, Alex Marquez said afterwards, was ahead of his expectations.

“I mean, much better than what I was expecting, [...] about feelings, on everything,” Marquez said after Practice in Brno.

“But now, quite tired. 

“Much closer than what I expected also. I was expecting to be one-and-a-half [seconds off the fastest], something like this. 

“But in the end, I felt not bad. 

“I approach the weekend as a test, as a part of the recovery, to be on the bike. 

“I will be 100 per cent I think after the summer break, the body needs more time, but to be on the bike, to be there is so important for me to put everything. 

“Quite happy but still many things, and day-by-day – tomorrow I will wake up, I will see my body, I will ride the FP2, the qualifying, Sprint, and then decide practice-by-practice how is my physical condition.”

Marquez added that his body is struggling to hold up after multiple laps in succession.

“After a few laps, the muscles are giving up a little bit,” the Gresini Racing rider said. “It's the way that I need to take care. 

“But it's part of the recovery, part of the training. A MotoGP bike is the best training, so I’m just trying to make laps and to understand the things step-by-step.”