Gresini Racing has confirmed that its rider Alex Marquez will not continue in this weekend’s MotoGP Indonesian Grand Prix weekend due to pain in his ribs.
Marquez was ruled fit before the beginning of the Indonesian GP weekend yesterday, but has now ruled himself out of the weekend in the wake of FP1 on Friday morning in Lombok.
That FP1 was an uncomfortable one for Marquez, who finished 20th and 1.745 seconds off the pace of session leader Jorge Martin.
The first session of the weekend also contained a crash for Marquez, which was doubtless of little help to the #73’s cause for completing this return weekend.
The news of his withdrawal was confirmed in the following tweet by the Gresini Racing team.
Marquez was attempting to return this weekend from the broken ribs he sustained in qualifying for the Indian Grand Prix last month. He is the second rider to attempt a comeback and fail to complete it in the last two races, after Alex Rins pulled out of the Japanese Grand Prix after Friday’s practice sessions in Motegi two weeks ago.
The two Spaniards, Marquez and Rins, were two of five riders coming into the Indonesian Grand Prix with fitness concerns. Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini were both declared fit on Thursday, and are so far continuing with the weekend, as is Rins, following FP1. Marco Bezzecchi, who broke a collarbone in training last weekend, did not arrive in Lombok until Friday morning, less than two hours before MotoGP FP1. Bezzecchi was declared fit for FP1 and, despite a crash during first practice, passed a post-FP1 fitness check.
Marquez’ next attempt to return from his Indian injuries will be in one week’s time at the Australian Grand Prix in Phillip Island.
