Marc Marquez tests eye recovery on RC213V-S at Portimao

As he had forecast just a few days ago, the latest step in six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez's recovery from double-vision problems is in the form of a track test, at Portimao today, on an RC213V-S production bike.

The main intention will be to check how the injured nerve in his right eye reacts to MotoGP-style speeds, after last week's successful return to two-wheels with a motocross bike.

Marquez damaged the nerve, a repeat of his 2011 injury (which required a four-month layoff), when he fell from an enduro bike while training in late-October.

While the triple 2021 race winner's condition has improved in the past month, Marquez said he will only attend next month's opening Sepang test after passing a high-speed track test.

"To confirm I’ll be in Malaysia, I want to try on a GP circuit because I want to be 100% sure when I start the pre-season I will be fixed and ready to do a normal season," Marquez said on Friday.

"Of course, if I’m riding a bike, it means I have a perfect vision. But at the moment I want to follow the advice of doctor. He wants to see [what happens] at a GP circuit with high speed.

"I mean, do a one day test with a lot of laps. When I get tired, see if I have some problems or not. My doctor wants to evaluate all these things before allowing me to be at the Malaysian test. 

"Since I got injured, my goal was try to be at the first test or the first race of the season. It looks like we’re heading in a good way, but we need to try on a GP circuit."

The MotoGP regulations prevent Marquez from riding a MotoGP bike outside of race weekends and official tests, hence use of the RC213V-S.