Marc Marquez spent much of the MotoGP summer break working on one key weakness, his right arm and shoulder. Now, his heart rate during the British Grand Prix could provide an early indication of whether that work has paid off.
The reigning world champion entered the break just 18 points behind championship leader Jorge Martin after dramatically reducing the gap from 102 points earlier in the season.
Despite that progress, Marquez admitted that his physical condition remained his biggest limitation. He planned to cut short his holiday and focus on rebuilding the strength in his right arm ahead of the second half of the campaign.
"The right arm. It's the only point I need to improve," Marquez said after his double victory at the German Grand Prix.
"I will try to work hard just to wake up some muscles that are sleeping. And if we can do it, then we can try to fight for the championship in this second part of the season."
Marquez's right arm has remained a problem since his injury and subsequent surgery to relieve a compressed radial nerve. While he no longer suffers from numbness or pain, he has still been dealing with a lack of strength and muscle.
Source: Carole Nash
That weakness has forced him to compensate with other parts of his body while riding, resulting in greater overall fatigue.
One of the clearest signs of that extra strain has been his heart rate during races.
Marquez revealed that his race heart rate has been higher than ever since returning from his injury, even though his resting heart rate at home is lower than before.
"Since I came back from the injury is higher than ever," he explained. "So that means when I'm riding the bike, I'm compensating with other things, for what I'm missing in the right arm."
That makes Silverstone an interesting test for the Ducati rider.
If his race heart rate has dropped compared with the opening half of the season, it could suggest that his summer training has helped restore some of the strength he has been missing.
However, the number will only be one part of the picture. Marquez will also need to show that he can maintain his pace and physical condition throughout a full race weekend.
With the championship fight entering its second half, the six-time MotoGP champion cannot afford to leave any weakness unaddressed.
After closing dramatically on Martin before the summer break, Marquez now has another opportunity to turn his physical recovery into an advantage as the title battle resumes at Silverstone.
