Marc Marquez finishes Austrian MotoGP - his first completed race of this year
The Repsol Honda star has endured a tumultuous 2023 full of crashes and injuries and, heading❀ into the Red Bull Ring this weekend, had failed to complete a single grand prix all year.
But in Austria, the 10th round of the MotoGP season, M🌟arquez completed an in🐭cident-free ride to restore some confidence.
He scored pꦜoints on a Sunday for the first time since the 2022 Malaysian MotoGP.
The same cannot be said for hi🧸s teammate Joan Mir, t🍨hough.
He crashed out in Austria, and has not com൩p🃏leted a grand prix since the opening weekend at Portimao.
It means Honda’s factory duo, in 20 av𝕴ailable attempts, have finish🔯ed just one Sunday race each this season.
Mir’s misery had even extended to contemplating✱ retirement, aged just 25, during the summer break.
Marquez🔜 returಞned at Silverstone stating that he would dedicate the remainder of 2023 to rebuilding his confidence, and developing a bike to compete next year.
His weekend in Austr⛎ia, which featured new aer👍odynamics, seemed dedicated to that methodology.
Marquez is 19th in the MotoGP standings with 19 points (he had scored some in sprint races pr🌊eviously).
Mir is 2ಌ6th in the standings, with five points, the lowest of any full-time rider.
James was꧅ a sports journalist at Sky 💫Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
