Alex Marquez to miss next two MotoGP rounds after Barcelona crash

Alex Marquez will sit out MotoGP’s upcoming rounds at Mugello and Balaton Park to continue recovery from the injuries he sustained in last weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix.

In a short post on social media on Thursday, Gresini Racing shared a picture of Marquez wearing a neck brace and arm sling, accompanied by two members of the team.

The statement noted that Marquez will not be able to take part in the double-header encompassing the Italian and Hungarian grands prix.

This means that the Spaniard will remain out of action until at least the Czech GP on 21 June, although a timeline for full recovery was not provided.

No substitute for the two-time world champion was announced, but Gresini is required by the regulations to field a replacement rider. Gresini does not have an official reserve, and when Fermin Aldeguer had to miss the Thailand season opener due to a training accident, Ducati’s test rider Michele Pirro was brought in as his stand-in.

Marquez returned to his home in Madrid on Tuesday after undergoing surgery on the right collarbone that he broke after hitting the faulty KTM of Pedro Acosta at Barcelona.

Scans also showed a minor fracture of the C7 vertebra, but no immediate operation was performed. According to an earlier statement, Marquez was due to undergo further tests this week to determine the future course of action. Thursday’s post made no reference to the vertebra fracture or his recovery plan.

The 30-year-old remains at home with his elder brother Marc Marquez, who suffered a foot injury a week before in a highside at the French Grand Prix. The nine-time world champion got surgery on both his broken foot and his battered right shoulder, and missed the Catalan GP as a result.

Ducati is yet to announce whether Marquez will be fit to take part in the team’s home race in Mugello on 31 May.

LCR rider Johann Zarco, who was also injured in Barcelona, could also miss multiple rounds, with his Honda team revealing on Wednesday that he will have to wait several weeks before undergoing surgery on his knee.