Still recovering from Mandalika crash, Marquez to miss Argentine MotoGP – Sports

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Tue, March 29, 2022

2022-03-29
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Six times MotoGP champion Marc Marquez will miss this weekend’s Argentine Grand Prix as he continues to recover from double vision suffered after a crash in Indonesia, Honda said on Tuesday.

Marquez did not race at the Mandalika circuit, the second round of the season, a week ago after a highside crash in the warm-up session.

“The Repsol Honda Team rider will not take part in the next round … as he continues his recovery,” Honda said in a statement ahead of the grand prix at Termas de Rio Hondo.

Marquez won the last time MotoGP visited the circuit in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the race in 2020 and 2021.

The Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas, follows on from Argentina on April 10 and Honda did not say whether Marquez might return there, or who would replace him this weekend.

The 29-year-old experienced double vision while travelling back to Spain from Indonesia. He suffered a similar episode at the end of last season after a concussion in a training crash.

Honda said Marquez visited his ophthalmologist in Barcelona on Monday for a second medical check-up with a “notable improvement” in his condition.

The Spaniard suffered a concussion after a spectacular crash in Mandalika, when his Honda cartwheeled end-over-end as it disintegrated, before he landed heavily on his left arm and smacked his helmet on the ground.

A seriously big crash for @marcmarquez93 today

A testament to how good modern protective gear is, we’re incredibly happy to see and hear that he’s OK! See you in Argentina, Marc! 💪#IndonesianGP 🇮🇩 pic.twitter.com/GKAaOAFauw

— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) March 20, 2022

Marquez also suffered from diplopia, or double vision, at the end of last season.

“It seems that I am experiencing deja vu,” he wrote on Twitter soon after the crash. “During the trip back to Spain, I began to have discomfort with my vision.

“We decided to visit Dr. Sanchez Dalmau, who confirmed that I have a new episode of diplopia.

“Fortunately, it is less severe than the injury I had at the end of last year. But now it’s time to rest and wait to see how the injury evolves.”

Marquez had to be airlifted to hospital after his crash at the weekend, although he did walk away from his ruined Honda.

Honda said he would undergo further medical tests before deciding how long he will need to recover.

Marquez has struggled with a series of injuries in recent seasons.

He missed almost the entirety of the 2020 campaign after breaking his right arm in the season-opening race.