Having spent so much time rehabilitating his shoulder after surgery, Marc Marquez is eager to avoid pushing himself too hard in Sepang.

Marquez wary of shoulder setback in Sepang


Marc Marquez is wary of pushing himself too hard at the MotoGP test event in Sepang and suffering a setback in his recovery from shoulder surgery.

Repsol Honda rider Marquez claimed his fifth title in the premier class in 2018 but has spent the off-season rehabilitating his shoulder, which proved troublesome after he dislocated it while training at home during the season.

The 25-year-old will not be joined by new team-mate Jorge Lorenzo in Malaysia for the three-day test, which starts on Wednesday, after the three-time champion had an operation on his wrist.

Marquez acknowledged he is unsure how his shoulder will cope with the demands placed upon it in pre-season and is keen not do overdo it.

"I haven't skipped a day [of physiotherapy], we started December 11th and we didn't train on the 24th, 25th, 31st or 1st. For two and a half hours in the morning and two and a half hours in the afternoon. The hardest thing is the psychological side," said Marquez.

"Until I get on the MotoGP bike, I won't know what shape I'm in. I'm aware that it will be quality over quantity in terms of the amount of laps I do. More than anything, that's to avoid causing tendonitis or [something] similar.

"I'm also aware that if in the test I can't put in the laps that I would like, it is only a test. We will all leave Malaysia with zero points.

"I have to be prudent and not throw away the hours I've spent recovering, the two months I've been recovering and been patient."