Juan Antonio Lladós
Madrid (EFE).- The Italian Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati Desmosedici GP22) arrives as MotoGP leader at the Spanish Grand Prix that takes place at the “Ángel Nieto” circuit in Jerez de la Frontera this weekend, a scenario that could see the return of his compatriot Enea Bastianini (Ducati Desmosedici GP23), but not of the Spanish Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda RC 213 V), who this Wednesday confirmed his absence.
Marc Márquez will return at Le Mans
“Yesterday we did another CT scan and it has been confirmed that, despite the fact that the injury (in the first metacarpal of the right hand) is progressing favourably, the bone has not yet finished healing and racing in Jerez was risky. Together with the medical team, we have decided not to take risks, wait two more weeks and return to Le Mans, ”confirmed the eight-time world champion in statements sent by his team. His replacement in Jerez will be Iker Lecuona, HRC rider in the Superbike World Championship.
Bastianini, meanwhile, has already been physically tested at the Italian circuit of Misano Adriatico, but will have to go through the Grand Prix Medical Commission on Thursday at the same circuit in Jerez.
Return of Daniel Pedrosa
Another of the great novelties will be the return to competition of the triple Spanish motorcycling world champion Daniel Pedrosa, who, in addition to working as a KTM test rider after his official withdrawal from competition, will attend the Spanish Grand Prix as a guest rider of MotoGP on one of the prototypes of the Austrian manufacturer.
Among those who will be, without any doubt, are both the current leader of the competition, Marco Bezzecchi, and the current world champion, his compatriot Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia (Ducati Desmosedici GP23), who will surely want to make up for it. of the mistake made in the American circuit of Austin when he was the leader of the race.
That mistake by Bagnaia “delivered” the victory to the Spanish Alex Rins on a platter, who in this way achieved his second victory on the American track and his first with his new brand, Honda, who in this way was able to take a breather while waiting of an improvement of the manufacturer’s prototype of the “Golden Wing”, which has not yet found a clear path for the evolution of a motorcycle that can stand up to the all-powerful Ducati, which could have “full” representation in Jerez if Bastianini returns.
In addition to the official pilots, Bagnaia and Bastianini, the Pramac pilots will be in Jerez, also on Desmosedici GP23 paths, the Frenchman Johann Zarco and the Spanish Jorge Martín, together with four other Desmosedici, in this case from last season (GP22). , in the hands of the Italians Luca Marini, Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio di Giannantonio, and the Spanish Alex Márquez, who is surely looking for a good result with which to endorse a more than hopeful start to the season for the youngest of the Márquez brothers.
There will also be Joan Mir, the new signing of Repsol Honda, who already recognized in Austin, after his crash, that he hadn’t finished “getting the point” on the new RC 213 V, but that the bike had potential.
The victory of Alex Rins in Austin will surely make the brand new winner of the Italian team of Lucio Cecchinello arrive at the track in southern Spain convinced of his possibilities, who achieved his hundredth podium in the world championship in that race.
The same potential that they say the Repsol Honda RC 213 V has is also recognized in their RS-GP prototypes by the official Aprilia riders, the Spaniards Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales, who in the first of the three “home” races, expect to be able to achieve a good result.
Due to the mere fact of being home, the Spaniards Augusto Fernández (GasGas RC 16) and Raúl Fernández (Aprilia RS-GP) will also hope to have a good weekend.