Footage from his helmet camera released by MotoGP organisers showed the 26-year-old Honda-riding superstar taking a tumble as he hit a corner.

He was later seen hunched on the gravel before being taken to a hospital in the Thai city of Buriram for a check-up, MotoGP said in a statement posted on their official Twitter handle.

“We are checking … we hope he is okay and can continue,” Hector Martin, a spokesman for Marquez’s team told AFP.

Marquez secured his eighth victory of the season at Aragon Motorland in Spain last month, a victory all but ending any lingering hopes Andrea Dovizioso, Danilo Petrucci, Alex Rins, Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi still had of lifting the trophy.

He had his eyes on sealing the title in Thailand on Sunday.

It is the second time the Thailand MotoGP has been held at the Chang circuit in Buriram.

The town is in rural northeastern Thailand and has been transformed into a sporting hub by an extremely rich local bigwig with powerful political connections in Thailand.