Alex Marquez considering surgery next week, could miss Qatar GP

Alex Marquez is considering bringing forward an operation on his injured right collarbone, which he fractured in Barcelona, potentially ruling him out of next week's Qatar Grand Prix.

The Gresini rider is “considering” travelling on Sunday night directly from Kuala Lumpur to Madrid, where he could undergo surgery on Tuesday to remove a plate from his right collarbone. The metal has been causing him significant discomfort in recent weeks, with the MotoGP calendar giving riders little respite between rounds.

Marquez had originally scheduled the operation for the end of the season, but confirmed on Saturday that he was now weighing up his options.

“We are evaluating the options with Dr Samuel Antuna, because it's not just the plate; there are other things as well,” he said, referring to the injury, which has also caused bursitis in the affected area.

“We are looking at all the possibilities. I have had injections at every race since returning from the crash in Barcelona, and the truth is that I've been having a really difficult time,” he revealed.

“The impact I suffered in Barcelona was very strong, and the collarbone was operated on very quickly,” Marquez added, suggesting that the initial surgery had been rushed in an attempt to get him back on a motorcycle as soon as possible.

Marquez will switch manufacturers next season to join the factory  KTM team. His priority is to make a full recovery in time for the final two races of the year, in Portimao and Valencia, and above all to be present for the 1 December test at Valencia, where he will get his first opportunity to ride KTM's 850cc prototype under the new 2027 regulations.

Alex Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images

Crash while leading

Alex Marquez started the Malaysian GP sprint from pole position and led the opening three laps before crashing out while at the front, having looked well-placed to secure victory.

"I did a really small mistake, but with these hot conditions and the grip level being quite low, everything was so on the limit," he said.

"I wasn't expecting that crash in that corner, honestly speaking. Maybe it was too much confidence from the pole this morning or something like that, so I was a little bit too optimistic, and that's it. A small mistake that caused us to [lose the chance to] fight for  victory."

However, he insisted that the accident had not aggravated his existing injury.

The Gresini rider, who had built a lead of almost one second before crashing, concluded that “the conditions in the sprint were very difficult”.