Marc Márquez has acknowledged that he needs to be patient with his recovery, as he believes he does not have the necessary pace to finish in the top five at the Italian Grand Prix following the Friday practice session.
The Ducati Team rider made his much-anticipated return to MotoGP in Mugello, having missed the Le Mans race and the entire weekend of the Catalonia GP due to an injury.
In the practice session, Márquez took some risks to secure a direct place in Q2, finishing in sixth place and just two-tenths off the time set by VR46 rider Fabio di Giannantonio.
However, there are still concerns about his physical condition, as he had to undergo additional tests after FP1 to be cleared to participate for the rest of the weekend. While the foot injury he suffered at Le Mans is no longer an issue, his arm continues to generate uncertainty following surgery to repair a wrongly fixed screw.
Márquez commented that, mentally, he feels ready to compete but expects difficulties in finding his rhythm during the race. “When I’m without the helmet, I feel ready. I’m passionate and I know I have to be it during the competition too. However, when I put on the helmet, things get more complicated,” he said.
The rider acknowledged that, even though the operation on his muscle resolved the discomfort that was bothering him, he expects to physically deteriorate over the weekend. “I don’t feel tingling, which was what the nerve was causing. But I was surprised to not feel as good as I expected on the bike in FP1,” he added.
Márquez stated that the most important thing now is to rebuild his arm, which has undergone seven surgeries. “If I have to start in twelfth position, I will. Theoretically, it should worsen during this weekend. I’m still losing time on right corners and in direction changes,” he concluded.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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