Submitted by David Emmett on
After a massive highside during warm up for the Mandalika MotoGP race, Marc Marquez has been ruled unfit to race. The Repsol Honda rider had the rear of his RC213V come round at him at Turn 7, before spitting him off in the biggest highside seen in MotoGP for a very long time. Marquez was clearly shaken, but got up and walked away.
Marquez was taken to a local hospital where no broken bones were found, but it was clear Marquez had taken a bang to the head. After examination by Dr Charte and the circuit doctors, and consultation with the team, Marquez was ruled unfit due to a possible concussion. Marquez will undergo a period of observation of 12 to 24 hours, before being allowed to return home.
Whether the crash will have any long-term consequences remains to be seen. Marquez was just starting to emerge from a long period of convalescence from injury, from the arm he broke at Jerez to the double vision he suffered when he banged his head in a training crash at the end of last year. Marquez has two weeks to recover ahead of the next MotoGP round, at Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina.
Comments
It's going to be a long two
It's going to be a long two weeks with very little news from his camp more than likely. Prayers up for the guy. This off is as much a Michelin and Honda crash as it is Marc's right hand.
I hope not
I hope this doesn't restart the whole double vision thing again?
It isn't looking like this race is happening anytime soon? The place is submerged. :(
MM highside
that looked nasty! All th best to MM and recovery.Hope no previous issues arise
Horrific
Hope he’s just bruised. Commentary referred to the harder tyres brought to withstand the demands of the circuit/temperature not suiting the Honda. Another reason for more robust tyres they can design a bike for and trust?
I think if you design a tyre
I think if you design a tyre that can handle a full race at a hot Sepang it'd never work at Le mans. So, you need a range of tyres. Michelin, as things turned out, brought the wrong tyre for Honda and the right tyre for Yamaha. Some awesome riding by Marc.
https://youtu.be/RmOX8uFx804?t=135
Another reason to not have one tire manufacturer.
Totally ridiculous that one of the premier tire companies (if never one really known for racing prowess) is it for this series of all things yet can't make tires that work outside such a narrow window that no-one knows what's going on from one minute (or degree) to the next.
Off throttle slide
It's an off throttle slide. So I don't think you can blame his right hand at all.
100% HRC/Michelin blame
Marc is Marc and knows you make time in fast sections, that RR tyre and the RC213 setup were never ready to have this man on it.
Man I hope the vision issue doesn't come back or we may never see Marc again. And I wouldn't blame him one bit.
GOOD LUCK MM93!!
Sorry but...Marc had a choice
Sorry but...Marc had a choice, we all know he wasn't going to take it but he had it, it's called going slower. All weekend the Honda was a handful. If only he could manage it. Marc is the only one who could manage it, just like Jerez 2020. He an absolute legend for trying, we all love to see it because it's special. He wasn't spat of the bike plodding around the track, he was spat off the bike going for gold on a day discretion was probably the better part of valour.
100% agree
Exactly this!
And why didn't the other Honda-riders launch themselves into orbit?
Anyway, wish him fast & full recovery!
A bit off-topic, but: what happened to Pol? Turning from Friday "I am fast" "we have good grip with both (!) tires" (see Friday-roundup) to Saturday "the rear-tire is $h*t" "this is not the way to go" full-blame on Bib?
I think the track went
I think the track went through some changes. All three classes lap after lap, rain, more rain, the dirty moto3 bikes of Friday, track cleaning up, more rubber. Fast is only fast relative to the rest of the field. The Honda went schizo as the pace picked up.
Hope he is well
a brave man...however the cat may only have 9 lives...if he keeps crashing like this huis luck may run out
Pre-warm up, the announcer's
Pre-warm up, the announcer's words that Marquez was going to go for broke in the race was met with an ominous sensation in this couch potato. I started watching the session and caught myself wondering when was the last time Marquez had four crashes during a race weekend. Not a moment of clarity, gut feeling, foregone conclusion, or any of that business. More like a what is about what was forthcoming. Empty. His high side was not surprising or expected. The only impression that was made was the spectacular fashion in which he exited the session.
I have respect for Marquez. He is a guy that asks for the food of life and eats heartily. Humans acquire an unknown body expiration date and live life with this knowledge. I also remind myself to have respect for everyone because we must live with that particular part of the human condition. It has been said that we are the only species that has knowledge of their own impending mortality. I cannot comment on the validity of that statement. It seems so, the way we create incredible dreams and pernicious sewers as we go about this business of life and death. One could say that Marquez, like many, is self-destructive. I prefer the Mexican definition of "bizarro." Grabbing life by the horns and wrangling them every day.
I also cannot comment on the cause of his crash. Must plead ignorance there. I kinda wish Marquez would dial it back a notch, but that's like asking one to modify their second nature, which is difficult to do. Maybe his leather sponsor could design him a Bibendum air-bag system. Michelin could join that game and they could all make money while possibly extending Marquez' career. Well, the show goes on whether it's wanted it or not, with or without Marquez. It's been doing fine without Rossi.
Amen..well said!
Marc still thinks he is 20...I am afraid for him (think his luck is running out) -hope he "gets his head straight" and settles down...the young guns are coming up and the are fast ...Honda is in their sunset...he needs to "take care"...and stop pushing
Bibendum air-bag system
They already have one. Required of all riders in Moto GP.
A bibendum would be a bit
A bibendum would be a bit more 'extensive' than what they have now :-)
They could connect his body to the bike with a cable, a bit like they do with Sidecar riders in MX to kill the engine.
When he launches himself to a certain distance from the bike, the connection gets cut and a big sphere gets inflated instantly around him so he lands softly. A big lifeboat if you will.
Spaulders postulated an
Spaulders postulated an interesting question: Do the mandatory air-bag leathers give the riders more confidence in taking even greater risks?
I doubt that
These guys are all nuts to start with, lol. At least by most peoples' definition.
Therapy
Racing for me was a place to work some ("stuff") out. It WAS therapy. It showed parts if me otherwise unseen, both wonderful and shite. And offered a "work through it."
Damn fun therapy at that. Lots more expensive than a shrink though, and ended in hospital.
Used to literally meditate (Tibetan tradition) before getting on in pits. For SURE on the grid before the start flag. And throughout riding. Mindfulness with racefuel is mega.
Zero regrets other than not keeping me in it, healthy, and not moving up to bigger bikes competing (liter bikes was just track days and street madness, never moved past middleweights).
Loved my racing
Also found it very therapeutic. Quit after getting knocked off on the last lap of an endurance race (just wrong!) and suffering lots of broken bones and a concussion. Took a year off on doctor's orders, then went back for one season to prove something to myself, then stopped, to my wife's great relief. To her credit, she never said a word to me about quitting. Good lady.
^ Good go! Your partner
^ Good go! Your partner sounds a gem.
Vaguely similar here. Oh, the old days!
Cheers
Call it a day
Marquez has nothing to prove. He is playing catch up and there is no need. Time to call it a day and get on with life.
I see Rossi isn't in the
I see Rossi isn't in the paddock anymore.
The guy with nine world
The guy with nine world championships.
Good Lord…
There was a lot of energy in that snap over the bars. Marquez is constructed of pure titanium. I hope he recovers quickly. Best to the guy.
Not a fan, but…
That was a horrible high side. The last one I remember of that scale was Lorenzo at Brno in about ‘08 or ‘09, in which I think he broke both ankles. I hope there are no lasting injuries for Marquez, he looked like he was on the verge of collapsing after he got up.
I think that highside was a
I think that highside was at Laguna.
Lorenzo spacewalk
The first in '08 was Shanghai, then Laguna. Both took him out of the gravity well for so long he probably suffered decreased bone mass.
He's now outdone Lorenzo
I used to call these Lorenzo style highsides. But this out launched even early Lorenzo cold tire, off throttle launches.
I think the only thing that might have saved his career was the airbag. I really hope he tones it down. Have the Honda people even considered what might happen if this continues?
this is Marc's way of saying
this is Marc's way of saying to Honda, "Here is your data. Fix it."
Impatience
For me, what I see from Marquez is impatience, pure and simple, and that's what's going to ruin him if he continues like this. His impatience to return from his first serious accident (his arm) only succeeded in increasing his convalescence before his possible return. His impatience here at Mandalika has to wait to have the new Honda well surrounded when it is clear that the bike with these (new tires) is clearly not at its best. Throughout practice and especially during qualifying, he should have understood that this is not the weekend or the place to attempt the impossible. Instead of doing your best to earn as many points as possible and give time to better understand the bike. What has he achieved in his eagerness. Offside for the race! As I said, his impatience will end up ruining him.
Mindset
You want a guy who has the mindset, passion and drive to do what he has done in the sport. And you also want him to think like you and me. If he did that, he wouldn't have won the 2016 and the 2017 championship.
True enough ...
... but really, as in horse racing, I think it's time for him to retire to the stud farm before he does some serious and permanent personal injury to himself. He might even enjoy the stud farm ...
He is still young
He is 29 years old
I see Rossi isn't in the
I see Rossi isn't in the paddock anymore