(Reuters) - MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez will not return this season as he continues to recover from a broken arm, his Repsol (MC:REP) Honda team said on Tuesday.
The Spaniard fractured his upper arm in the season-opening Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez in July and had to undergo a second operation after damaging a plate in the arm while opening a window ahead of the second race in Jerez.
With only two races left on the 2020 calendar, Honda have decided to complete the season with Marquez's younger brother Alex and test rider Stefan Bradl.
"Working through his recovery programme and tracking the progress of his arm, Marc Marquez in conjunction with Honda, his team and multiple expert doctors, has elected to officially delay his return to action until 2021," Repsol Honda said in a statement https://motogp.hondaracingcorporation.com/report/repsol-honda-team-prepare-for-penultimate-race-marc-marquez-to-return-in-2021.
Six-times MotoGP champion Marquez, who won the world title in each of the last four seasons, will finish the 2020 campaign without a single point on the board.
"It's time to continue with the recovery," Marquez said on Twitter https://twitter.com/marcmarquez93/status/1326118807476334592. "Thanks for the messages of support. Looking forward to returning in 2021."
The penultimate race of the season will be held in Valencia on Sunday, with Suzuki's Joan Mir holding a 37-point lead at the top of the championship standings.