The Sepang International Circuit will once again play host to MotoGP pre-season tests in early February this season. The riders and teams will arrive in Malaysia between the 1st and 3rd of February for a shakedown.
Speaking to media, the five-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez has revealed he will not look in great shape for the test after complicated surgery
“Obviously the shoulder will be not 100% for Sepang [testing], but my target is try to be 100% or as close as possible in the Qatar GP.” Marquez said.
“The surgery has been more aggressive and more difficult than what we expected. I was four hours inside the surgery because it was more complicated than what they expected, even the doctors.
“They already say that the minimum [recovery time] will be three months, four months, but I am working quite hard. Already one month and a half [since], the progress is going in a good way, so this is the most important.” Marquez said.
“How the shoulder will be in Sepang I don’t know. I still have two weeks and now it’s good because every day I feel some improvement, every day is going better and better,” Marquez said.
“But of course for physical condition it will be maybe the most difficult because it’s one of the most difficult circuits physical.” Marquez added.
Honda team-mates Jorge Lorenzo and Marc Marquez will start their first pre-season tests at Sepang in early February. (Source:www.sports-detik.com)
Marquez broke his leg in a training crash, in 2014, but the Spaniard still went on to win the first 10 races of the season and reached the title with ease.
“2014 was a difficult pre-season too because I did the first test and then I got injured and I was one months and a half out and I went directly to the first race, but then the season was the best one for me,” Marquez said.
“I think this is completely different. It was a big surgery, a big injury to the shoulder, it’s something that I struggled with all last year but now I feel already more fixed.
“We are working in the best way to be at 100% but I think will be important to start slowly because I don’t want to repeat it again. I don’t want a small crash and to be again in the same situation, so I need to be patient.” he added.