Márquez started the opening Grand Prix of the season in Portimao from pole position. However, he soon lost first place, and while trying to move forward, he collided with the local Miguel Oliveira. The race was soon over for both of them.
While the Portuguese escaped the accident with bruises, Márquez suffered a fractured thumb on his right hand. His Honda team announced today that he will miss this week’s Argentine Grand Prix following surgery.
The six-time MotoGP champion admitted his fault for the collision and apologized to Oliveira. Márquez did not escape the punishment from the series management, at the next start he will have to complete the so-called long lap twice. Two weeks after Argentina, the third Grand Prix of the season will be held in Austin.
Márquez is the third injured MotoGP rider from the opening race weekend. His compatriot Pol Espargaró had a heavy fall right in Friday’s training, suffered a bruised lung and fractured jaw and thoracic vertebra, and will be out for roughly two months.
In Saturday’s sprint, the Italian Enea Bastianini again broke his shoulder blade in a fall and he too will not travel to Argentina.