The immediate future of six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez is in doubt after a huge crash in the warm-up for the Indonesian Grand Prix.
Marquez missed the race after a high-side at turn seven, after which he was diagnosed with concussion.
He’s now back in Spain but has been experiencing another bout of diplopia, or double vision, caused by nerve damage in his eye, a problem he also experienced at the end of 2021. He first damaged the nerve in 2011.
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“It seems that I am experiencing deja vu … During the trip back to Spain, I began to have discomfort with my vision, and we decided to visit Dr Sanchez Dalmau, who confirmed that I have a new episode of diplopia,” Marquez wrote on social media.
“Fortunately, it is less severe than the injury I had at the end of last year. But now it’s time to rest and wait to see how the injury evolves. As always, thank you very much to everyone for your support!!”
Marquez now seems unlikely to ride at the Argentinian Grand Prix in early April.
“The neuro-ophthalmological evaluation carried out on Marc Marquez on Monday after the head injury that occurred at the Indonesian Grand Prix, shows a new episode of diplopia caused by a recurrence of paralysis of the fourth right nerve, with less involvement than the one that occurred in the injury in November 2021,” Dr Dalmau said.
“After this examination, it was initially decided to follow a conservative treatment with periodic medical tests.
“Next week, Marc Marquez will undergo a new check-up to evaluate the evolution of the injury and to predict the estimated recovery period to return to competition.”
Former grand prix rider turned commentator Keith Huewen told crash.net that Marquez is paying the price for years of accidents.
“When he stood up from that accident you held your breath,” he said. “He staggered around like he was literally punch drunk. The right thing was done and he was taken out of the race.
“Only he knows how he feels. He doesn’t show pain, even when he must be in a lot of pain. He shuts all that down. But he can’t continue to take these heavy hits. It’s cumulative, every year you get more injuries adding up on an older body.”
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