Marc Marquez will miss the MotoGP season finale at Valencia after suffering vision problems following the concussion he sustained in a training accident last week.
The Honda pilot was forced to miss last weekend’s Algarve Grand Prix after picking up a concussion as a result of a crash while riding his motocross bike ahead of the Portuguese event, though according to Marquez this was just precautionary and therefore was expected to be back for the last race of the campaign at Valencia.
Honda announced on Tuesday morning ahead of the encounter though that the six-time premier class champion would end his season early due to suffering from vision problems due to sustaining a paralysed fourth-right nerve in his right eye, a legacy of the injury that nearly ended his career while riding in Moto2 back in 2011 according to his Ophthalmologist Doctor Sánchez Dalmau.
The condition is known as Diplopia, with the injury being treated with a “conservative treatment with periodic updates” according to Dalmau.
“The examination carried out on Marc Marquez today after the accident that occurred has confirmed that the rider has diplopia and has revealed a paralysis of the fourth right nerve with involvement of the right superior oblique muscle,” said Dalmau in a short statement.
“A conservative treatment with periodic updates has been chosen to follow with the clinical evolution.
“This fourth right nerve is the one that was already injured in 2011.”
Marquez crashed in wet conditions in Friday practice at Sepang back in 2011, with the then-Moto2 title contender suffering dizziness and ruled out of the race after being diagnosed with Diplopia, an anxious five-month wait ensuing to see whether he could continue his motorcycle racing career.
Honda also confirmed that Marquez will miss the post-season test at Jerez next week, with his place at the Valencian finale likely going once again to test rider Stefan Bradl, who deputised for the Spaniard in the Algarve GP and rode the RC213-V to a 15th place finish.
