Marc Marquez's Story And The Vision Problems He Suffered

Marc Marquez, ready to try out the Mandalika Circuit in the 2022 MotoGP pre-season test on 11-13 February. (Photo: MotoGP.com)

JAKARTA - Marc Marquez has arrived in Lombok on Tuesday, February 8, 2022. Arriving using a chartered plane, Marquez was greeted most lively. Though he is not alone, because there are many other riders with him. Marquez and his racing compatriots will try out the Mandalika Circuit track in the 2022 MotoGP pre-season test on February 11-13.

No wonder Marquez is the center of attention, because the 28-year-old Spaniard is indeed the only name that is famous after his competitors retired and slumped in terms of achievement. Valentino Rossi is retired, as is Jorge Lorenzo.

Maverick Vinales was not very friendly and his performance at Yamaha was lackluster, so he had to move to Aprilia. Marquez, although last year he failed to win because of an injury, his name is already stuck in the hearts of MotoGP addicts in Indonesia.

Marc Marquez has a friendly demeanor so he has many fans. (Photo: Instagram/redbullindo)

Marquez almost every year comes to Indonesia to do a promo tour at the invitation of Honda. In fact, he had twice launched the Repsol Honda racing motorbike, which was used for the 2015 and 2020 seasons. The two launch events for the Repsol Honda team were held in Bali and Jakarta. Only in 2021 he didn't come due to injury.

Marquez can also do anything. Jaipong dancing, singing, he can. Even in interviews, Marquez always smiles.

“I don't know why it's nicknamed Baby Alien. Maybe because I was not famous before, was young, and suddenly became a MotoGP champion," said Marquez in a 2014 interview at the Sentul Circuit, Bogor.

Visual Impairment

Marquez fell and was injured. But if he suffers from visual impairment, that's a great thing. In October 2022, the racer who was born on February 17, 1993 was sentenced by a doctor to suffer from Diplopia. It is a visual disorder that causes a person to see a single object to appear double or shaded.

The visual impairment was obtained by Marquez due to a fall in enduro practice to face the 2021 Portuguese GP race.

"It was a normal accident. Practicing enduro or motocross to face a racing event is a common practice for MotoGP riders, including Marc. He fell, but he was conscious," said Alberto Puig, Repsol Honda manager as quoted by Crash.net on November 5, 2021 in response to Marquez's accident.

Marc Marquez. (Photo: Twitter@marcmarquez93)

It was later discovered that Marquez's injury was unusual, because the accident resulted in damage to the optic nerve causing Diplopia.

The official MotoGP website writes that Marquez is still undergoing therapy to cure the disorder in his eye. The therapy given to him was described as "conventional medicine". The treatment was carried out by Marquez's trusted ophthalmologist, Sanchez Dalmau.

Second Case

Marquez's Diplopia in 2021 is the second time for him. The first case occurred in 2011 when he was still racing in Moto2. Marquez crashes in a practice session ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang. The accident that resulted in visual impairment caused Marquez to be absent from the track for 5 months.

Marc Marquez with a team of doctors who treated his diplopia, Doctor Sanchez Dalmau standing second from the right. (Photo: Marca.com)

"It's a difficult moment, like a race in the rain. After visiting Dr. Sanchez Dalmau, new episode of diplopia confirmed as 2011. We need patience, but I've learned one thing which is to face adversity positively. Thank you for your support!” wrote Marquez on his twitter account in 2021.

The diplopia suffered by Marc Marquez may not have much effect when the MotoGP pre-season test at the Mandalika Circuit is held. However, if the problem is not immediately addressed, the story could be different when the real MotoGP race will be held in March.