The Repsol rider is not yet fully recovered and his participation is ruled out unless there is a last-minute improvement. Cheste holds this weekend the last season of the year with Marco Simoncelli in everyone’s mind.
After the medical checks he underwent today at the USP Institut Universitari Dexeus, rider Repsol Marc Márquez was force to accept that this weekend he will not be able to fight for the Moto2 title in Valencia. The sight of the young rider from Cervera has been improving since he returned from Malaysia but he is not fully recovered yet, so his participation in the Grand Prix of Comunitat Valenciana has been ruled out. Nevertheless, on Thursday afternoon the Repsol rider will go to the Ricardo Tormo circuit because, as the doctors said, there is a thin chance that he might recover the sight suddenly and he is willing to take any opportunity, as thin as it might be, to take part in the last round of the 2011 calendar.
Overall, the Valencian round will be a special Grand Prix due to the dramatic events in Malaysia. The mourning for Marco Simoncelli’s tragic death will mark this Grand Prix of Comunitat Valenciana, the last of the 2011 season. In the sporting section, the Repsol Honda Team will conclude a good season. Casey Stoner is already the MotoGP World Champion, the Repsol Honda Team and Honda won the teams and constructors classification, respectively, and Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa will fight for the third overall position this weekend.
The 2011 MotoGP World Champion, Casey Stoner, will compete in Valencia in his 100 Grand Prix of the premiere class, in the very same track where he achieved his first World Championship victory (2003, in 125cc). The Repsol rider, who won again in 2008, could also reach in the Valencian track the record of most poles in one year —twelve— currently held by Mick Doohan since 1997 in 500cc. This number was also reached by Marc Márquez in 2010 in 125cc.
One of the unknowns that will be unveiled in this Grand Prix will be who will take the third place in the final MotoGP classification. Andrea Dovizioso will defend his four-point advantage over his team mate Dani Pedrosa. The Ricardo Tormo circuit (4.005 metres) brings very different memories to those two riders. The Italian, who just achieved another podium in Australia, has never won in the Valencian track, while Dani Pedrosa has victories in all categories.
Márquez wanted to be at the Ricardo Tormo to have the chance to fight for the Moto2 World Championship with Germany’s Stefan Bradl. But although he is progressively improving he will not be completely recovered for Valencia. Under those conditions he must not take any risks, so it will be a strange weekend for Márquez. Despite his disappointment, truth is that since his crash due to the Malaysian marshal’s incompetence, the final battle for the title would not be easy for Márquez. After missing the Malaysian race and after Bradl recovering 20 points, Marc’s only options were to win the race and wait for the German to finish fourteenth or worse.
Despite Márquez will finally not be able to try a new feat, the already Rookie of the Year has had an excellent season in his first year in the always difficult Moto2 category, where he has already secured the runner-up position in the World Championship due to his good results.
Dani Pedrosa,
“Valencia will be a very special race for everybody. This weekend we will all have Marco in our thoughts and I hope the fans show their respect and appreciation to him, as the whole MotoGP family will do. Valencia is a track I like a lot and I’m looking forward to seeing all the fans there again. Last year I couldn’t perform very well due to injury, but this time I hope to have a good race and finish the season in a good shape”.
Andrea Dovizioso,
“I’m very sad for the loss of Marco. I’m going to Valencia not in the right frame of mind for a race. I will wear Marco’s number 58 on the chest of my leathers, close to my heart, this is the only thing that counts.I have raced with Marco throughout my whole career, he was “the rival” and now that he is no longer with us, he has left a big void and I want to convert this feeling of emptiness to determination. I hope to get a good result at Valencia mainly because it is important for me to finish third in the Championship but I know the race will be difficult as it is not one of my favourite circuits and Dani is very strong there. Also, the GP of Valencia is my last race with Honda and I really would like to crown these ten years together with a good final race”.
Casey Stoner,
“It will be difficult to return to racing this weekend after Marco’s terrible accident in Sepang but I think it is the best thing we can do to honour him. We know we all play a risky game and, even if compared to the past the safety of our sport is much better, unfortunately these kind of events still occur. My thoughts go out to his family and I hope that they are coping through this period. The race this weekend is the final round of an incredible season for us, we worked hard all year and after clinching the title in Phillip Island we are starting to look to 2012. After the race here in Valencia we will have the two day test on the 1000cc machine and then we can take a well deserved break and reflect on the ups and downs of a very long hard season. We will go out there this weekend and try to put on a good show for all the fans and especially in memory of Marco”.
Marc Márquez,
“It is a shame, because I was looking forward to compete in Valencia. With the injuries one can do nothing, especially being a sight problem. It is nothing serious, but we need more time. If it was the shoulder I could make an effort and run, but without a perfect sight we can’t take risks. If I couldn’t see, even for one moment, I could put me and other riders in danger. We can’t be very optimist, but the doctors said there’s a small chance I could be better, so we’ll see. If it doesn’t, it will be a shame to miss the last race in Valencia in front of our fans, but we will be happy anyway with the season we did. We can’t do anything about it and now we should only think about improving”.
