The Honda rider broke his right arm in a serious fall at the Spanish Grand Prix on July 19 in Jerez.
Marquez immediately had surgery that used metalwork to repair the bone and attempted a comeback for the Andalusian GP a few days later in Jerez. But he had to cancel this, with the energy exerted on his arm ultimately causing the metal plate to break and a second operation was required.
Marquez recovered more slowly than expected and never raced again in 2020. Honda test driver Stefan Bradl took his place in his absence.
Reports in the Spanish press last month indicated that Marquez would need a third surgery due to the healing process, which is taking longer than hoped. Marquez has consulted numerous surgeons over the past few weeks to determine the best course of action. Marquez traveled to Madrid on Thursday for further consultation. The Spaniard Antena 3 reported for the first time that the Spaniard had an eleven hour operation on his arm.
Motorsport.com can confirm that the operation took place. Honda’s own statement was released late Thursday evening stating that the “uneventful” operation lasted eight hours. During the operation, bone was taken from his hip, which is rich in red blood cells, and grafted onto the humerus area on his right arm, where a new plate was also inserted.
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Marquez’s recovery is expected to take up to six months, which will exclude him from the start of the 2021 season – likely on March 28 with the Qatar Grand Prix. Honda has not yet commented on the recovery time.
The full statement from Honda read: “Marc Marquez underwent new surgery on his right arm due to the slow healing of the humeral bone, which specific shock wave treatment did not improve.
“Today the driver was operated on at the Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid for a pseudarthrosis of the right humerus.
“The operation, performed by a team of doctors Samuel Antuna, Ignacio Roger de Ona, Juan de Miguel, Aitor Ibarzabal and Andrea Garcia Villanueva, consisted of removing the previous plate and placing a new plate with the addition of a bone graft the iliac crest with a corticoperiosteal flap.
“The surgery lasted eight hours and was uneventful.”
Should Marquez not be able to race in 2021, Andrea Dovizioso will keep the door open to surprisingly return to MotoGP. Dovizioso opted for a sabbatical year after leaving Ducati at the end of the 2020 season. He was not offered test rider roles for 2021, which gave him a clear path back to the MotoGP grid for 2022.
Honda was devoid of any association with teams in MotoGP and could reasonably call on Dovizioso to represent Marquez in case the Spaniard had to miss more races.
Dovizioso made his MotoGP debut on the JiR Honda in 2008 before joining the factory team, with whom he raced from 2009 until the end of 2011. In 2009 he scored his first MotoGP win with the brand in Donington.