Márquez grabs Mugello holeshot, fades to fifth as fatigue bites
Marc Márquez said the corrective shoulder operation that removed two damaged screws and a piece of bone had achieved its main objective, ending the numbness in his right arm and allowing the radial nerve to begin working again, a recovery sign he illustrated by saying, “Being able to write my sprint notes by hand was a good sign.” Trackside medical checks and post-session nerve tests cleared him to ride at Mugello, but Márquez and team doctors reported ongoing pains and altered sensations as muscles readapted, and he acknowledged the arm has been opened multiple times during his long rehabilitation. On track the medical progress showed in bursts of speed but not sustained race fitness. Márquez rode cautiously in practice, moving from 15th in FP1 to a top-six practice time that secured Q2 entry. Reports vary on his final grid slot, with some sources saying he qualified fourth and others saying sixth. He grabbed the holeshot and briefly led the 11-lap sprint before finishing fifth about 10 seconds behind the winner, and he said his energy dropped over consecutive laps. Márquez and his team noted he still loses time in right-hand corners and on rapid direction changes, and he estimated he was roughly half a second slower than the top riders over race distance. Márquez framed Mugello as a step in a patient, step-by-step rehabilitation rather than an immediate return to full competitiveness. He warned fatigue could make the full Grand Prix harder and said, “I’m not even ready for a top-five finish,” while giving no firm timeline for 100 percent recovery, suggesting it could take weeks or “a month or two.” Team management urged caution on a demanding circuit, and analysts suggested a podium was unlikely on his return while a top-eight finish would be a realistic positive. The short-term focus remained rebuilding strength, endurance and race rhythm after recent foot and shoulder operations as Márquez aims for gradual performance gains in upcoming rounds.
