Marc Marquez admits he will need patience in MotoGP opener
Marc Marquez admits he will have to patient at the start of his MotoGP title-defence in Qatar this weekend, as he is still some weeks from full fitness
The world champion broke his right leg while training on a dirt-bike in Barcelona in mid-February.
Marquez had a final pre-event check-up with MotoGP surgeon Dr Xavier Mir on Monday and learned that his recovery was on course, but not yet complete.
"Yesterday morning I visited Doctor Mir to check that everything was progressing correctly," he wrote in a blog for his Honda team's title sponsor Repsol.
"After a few tests, we saw that everything was going as planned and in a few weeks I will be fully fit again but we have to be patient and assume, obviously, that I'm still not 100 per cent."
Last year Marquez began his MotoGP career with third place in Qatar after a long battle with Valentino Rossi.
He went on to take six race wins and beat Jorge Lorenzo to the championship by four points, but said he had to accept that 2014 could get off to a lower-key start.
"I have fantastic memories from last year but this year the circumstances are different," said Marquez.
"So we have to be cautious and work calmly."
Marquez's injury meant he missed the final two pre-season tests, although he was fastest on every day of the opening 2014 test in Malaysia prior to his incident.
"The wait has seemed long because I haven't been able to train as I would have liked, due to my injury," he said.
"However, coming here and being able to see my team, who I haven't seen for two months, changes everything and it makes me feel happy."
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