Alex Márquez to Undergo Surgery, Will Miss Qatar GP After Podium Finish in Malaysia

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Alex Márquez has confirmed he will undergo surgery on Monday, November 2, forcing him to miss the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix. The Gresini Racing rider announced the decision following his third-place finish at the Malaysian GP in Sepang, where his brother Marc Márquez claimed victory and Pedro Acosta secured second.

Despite battling physical limitations caused by an injury sustained at the Montmeló crash, Márquez managed to secure a podium position. He carefully managed his race effort after a fall in Saturday’s Sprint race, where he had been leading before crashing. “I tried to do the best I could. I also tried to save a bit at the start. I knew yesterday’s crash was a bit unexpected, at a point where I suffer a lot with my physical condition, and today I didn’t want to make the same mistake,” Márquez explained in a post-race interview with DAZN.

Aware that his condition would worsen as the race progressed, Márquez conserved energy in the early laps. “I knew that around lap 8 or 10 I would start to suffer. The position on the bike isn’t the same, and I don’t have control anymore,” he added. He even came close to crashing again two laps from the finish while defending his position from Ai Ogura, who ultimately finished fourth. Still, the rider described the outcome as positive: “Very happy to be on the podium, very happy to finish the race, happy to give a little hand to Marc.”

The surgery will address more than just the removal of the fixation plate from his right clavicle. Márquez will undergo an arthroscopy to treat bursitis and assess joint health. The initial operation following his Montmeló accident was performed urgently due to a complex four-part clavicle fracture. The injury also affected his shoulder, which had previous instability issues dating back to 2013 and had required surgery before. Márquez has been competing with the aid of infiltrations but has struggled with ongoing pain and limited physical training.

“Objective achieved, which was to get on the podium. I also want to announce that tomorrow morning I will have surgery with Dr. Samuel Antuña,” Márquez confirmed. He clarified the timing of the intervention was influenced by logistical considerations and recovery planning. “We almost operated after Indonesia, but missing Australia and then flying here wasn’t advisable. It’s better to skip Qatar and aim for Portimão, which is a much shorter flight, reducing the risk of infection due to sweat and travel,” he explained.

Looking ahead, Márquez hopes to return in time for the final two races of the season in Portimão and Valencia, although he emphasized that his comeback depends on recovery progress. “Hopefully I’ll be back in Portimão; that’s the goal. Those are the timelines given by the doctor. Surgery, then start working from Tuesday to be 100 percent,” he said. “If I have to miss Portimão, that’s not the plan, but it’s always a possibility. In theory, I should make it and hopefully perform well in the last two rounds.”

Márquez also noted that his inability to train strength due to the injury has left him physically weakened. “It’s true I have the injury, but I can’t do any strength work at home, so everything is very atrophied. It’s better to stop, recover, and arrive at the last two races better prepared,” he concluded.