ALEX MARQUEZ FACES RENEWED SHOULDER PAIN AT SEPANG

Alex Marquez’s right shoulder is troubling him again at the Malaysian Grand Prix, but the Gresini rider says he has made progress with his bike setup and remains focused on managing the problem through the weekend.

The discomfort dates back to a Barcelona crash, when Marquez struck the rear of Pedro Acosta’s slowing KTM. He had already described the shoulder as an issue at Mandalika, saying it felt less troublesome when he first returned to racing at Assen but worsened as the season went on. The short recovery gaps during MotoGP’s Asian run have added to the physical strain.

At Sepang, Marquez said Friday morning was more difficult than expected. “I suffered quite a lot and nothing was what I was expecting,” he told MotoGP.com, explaining that the bike behaved differently from what he anticipated. Remembering a similar experience the previous year, he stayed patient, worked through the data with his team and waited to assess the bike on the soft rear tyre expected to be used throughout the event.

Changes to the electronics and setup helped. By the afternoon, he said, the bike was working much better and his pace was reasonable as he tried different approaches. Still, his physical condition was not where he had hoped: “I’m not feeling so good on the right shoulder,” he said, adding that he would have to accept the situation and keep working patiently.

The shoulder is particularly stressed by direction changes and braking around Sepang. Marquez identified the transitions from Turns 1 to 2 and 2 to 3, the sequence through Turns 5 and 6, and the fast change from Turns 12 to 13 as difficult areas. “I’m suffering a little bit,” he said, though he expects short runs and the Sprint to be manageable.

The longer Sunday race is his greater concern. He expects to be more tired and in more pain by then, but said: “I will try my best.”