Alex Marquez hopeful of contesting MotoGP German Grand Prix following surgery

Gresini Ducati rider Alex Marquez aims to take part in this weekend’s German Grand Prix despite the hand injury picked up in an accident at the last MotoGP race in the Netherlands.

Marquez, who is his brother Marc’s nearest challenger in the 2025 MotoGP world championship points table, underwent surgery immediately after the crash at Assen.

Now, following a period of recovery, his team has announced that he will travel to the Sachsenring with the intention of racing in the German GP. This, however, is subject to him passing a medical examination on Thursday (10 July).

Alex trails Marc by 68 points ahead of the German round. Defeating his brother over the season is not a realistic prospect, so his main motivation for racing in Germany will be protecting his second place heading into the second half of the championship. He currently leads factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia by 58 points.

Another injured rider, Luca Marini, will definitely make a return to action at the Sachsenring following a successful test at Brno last week. 

Marini, who was badly hurt in a Suzuka 8 Hours testing accident following the British Grand Prix in May, has missed the last three races.

“The test we had at Brno last week was good, and I was able to understand my physical condition well,” reported the Italian in a statement shared by Honda. “I am not perfect at the moment, but the best way to improve further is to ride. 

“Of course, it would be great to go straight back into fighting where we were, but this weekend is mostly about getting back into the rhythm to end the season well.”

The news is less good for Marini’s fellow Honda rider Somkiat Chantra, who will miss the next two races following a training accident on an off-road bike last week.

The Thai racer, who picked up his first MotoGP point at Assen last time out, underwent surgery to treat ligament damage in his right knee. 

LCR rider Chantra will not be replaced in Germany this weekend, but Takaaki Nakagami will return to his old seat to provide cover in the Czech GP a week later. Chantra took over Nakagami’s ride at LCR following the Japanese rider’s retirement from full-time racing at the end of 2024.