The uncomfortable questions posed by Marc Marquez’s recent MotoGP form

Marc Marquez scored a pole position and a sprint win at Jerez, and yet there was something deeply concerning about his Spanish Grand Prix weekend.

Having lost the lead to his brother Alex Marquez at the start of lap two on Sunday, the reigning MotoGP world champion crashed out at Turn 11 and handed second position to points leader Marco Bezzecchi. It was unusual to see a rider go down at the high-speed right-hander, and even Marc could not offer a clear explanation for the accident. He did take full responsibility for the fall, but insisted he had done nothing differently than to the previous lap.

Of course, the Spaniard has crashed all too often from leading positions in MotoGP and in isolation, this incident wasn’t too different or entirely out of character for him. But in the context of his broader struggles with fitness and competitiveness, a second Sunday DNF in four grands prix was a major setback. Marc's subsequent declaration that he doesn’t have the pace to contend for the title only deepened those concerns.

The seven-time champion didn’t feel comfortable on the GP26 in the opening salvo of flyaways, and he wasn’t exactly in tune with the bike at Jerez either. Ducati’s latest bike isn’t as well-rounded as the GP24, nor as suited to Marc as its predecessor.

But Fabio di Giannantonio and Alex Marquez have proved that it is still a very capable package, and a large part of Marc's 2026 struggles appear to be of his own making - something the 33-year-old has openly acknowledged. His younger brother endured an even tougher start to the season, but a return to one of his favourite circuits appeared to trigger a reset, helping him ride through the bike’s shortcomings. Marc, who should be thriving in exactly such circumstances, has instead appeared a shadow of his former self in the early part of the campaign.. 

The elephant in the room is of course Marc's fitness level. It’s now been almost seven months since that unfortunate incident at Mandalika that dealt another blow to his already battered right shoulder. Jerez was supposed to be the first race where he was no longer dealing with physical limitations, as he stated ahead of the weekend that he was now in good shape.

However, reading between the lines, it was clear from Marc's comments that his shoulder had not fully recovered. The Indonesian incident was more serious than previously thought, and another crash in Austin practice may have only compounded the problem. It always takes time to recover from such injuries, and given his history, one has to wonder if he has suffered one too many hits to his shoulder. 

Marc Marquez may have won two sprints, but he is yet to finish higher than fourth in a Sunday race this year

Photo by: MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group

In the opening flyaways, Marc repeatedly insisted that he doesn’t know when he will be able to reach a 100% fitness level, as he no longer knows what his new peak level will be.. That raises inevitable questions over when - and if - he can again reach a physical state where he can be a title contender again. Crucially, he may not need to return to 100% to be competitive; he won the title in 2025 despite not being as fit as he was pre-2020.

The next few rounds on the calendar will put further strain on the right side of his body, offering a clearer picture of where he stands. Marquez has not indicated any need for further surgery, but there is precedent for such a move. The fourth operation he underwent on his right arm in 2022 wasn’t to fix the damage, but to address long-term limitations caused by his crash at the start of 2025. Now the question is whether he can return to a decent level, with or without surgery.

It is important to remember that the situation is not entirely bleak. In drying conditions, he still put his factory Ducati on pole at Jerez, which was no small feat. And while his unlikely win in the sprint owed largely to the timing of his pitstop and the unusual line he took to enter the pitlane, his bold pass on team-mate Francesco Bagnaia for the net lead demonstrated he hasn’t lost any of his aggression.

A ‘good enough’ Marc is not what MotoGP or Ducati truly needs. This is the rider who broke endless records and outgunned the likes of Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa in his heyday

Yes, he is already facing a 44-point deficit to Bezzecchi and he hasn’t finished on the podium in a Sunday race, but with 18 rounds still remaining, he can still claw his way back to the front. While Aprilia may have destroyed the competition prior to Jerez, it clearly has one major weakness - sprint races - where Marc can capitalise. The reigning champion has proved relatively quick on Saturdays and apart from victories at Goiania and Jerez, he also finished second in Buriram after a late penalty.

What can Ducati do?

It’s clear that Ducati needs its star rider to perform at his best. When Bagnaia was underperforming for the most part of last year, Marc was singlehandedly leading the show, helping the factory team claim yet another title. Now that he isn’t able to match his 2025 level, cracks are beginning to show, and even Davide Tardozzi has admitted that Ducati cannot rely on his talent to make up for the bike’s shortcomings.

Elsewhere within the factory, the picture is mixed. Di Giannantonio has emerged as the most consistent rider within the roster, but still needs to prove his worth as a potential title contender. Alex Marquez spent three weekends looking largely anonymous before he pulled something special out of the bag at Jerez to repeat his 2025 win. Even the Gresini rider isn’t certain at the moment whether his Spanish GP was a one-off or marked a genuine turnaround in performance.

The factory Ducati team has dropped to fifth in the standings, with fewer than half the points of Aprilia

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

While Alex Marquez has everything it takes to step into his elder brother’s shoes, Ducati certainly needs its lead rider back at the front. And to make that happen, it needs to ensure Marc has a bike that is both comfortable and not physically demanding. Whether Ducati can deliver on those fronts remain to be seen, especially in the face of a stern challenge from Aprilia.

Where Marc Marquez’s struggles leave him for 2027

While Marc may insist otherwise, he and Ducati already inked a new contract long before the start of the current season. As such, their partnership will continue into the 2027 era, where bikes will become slower and less powerful.

As such, there is no immediate threat to his future in MotoGP. Even in compromised form, Marc remains capable of producing moments of brilliance, as his performance on Saturday showed.

But a ‘good enough’ Marc is not what MotoGP or Ducati truly needs. This is the rider who broke endless records and outgunned the likes of Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa in his heyday. His incredible run to the 2025 title marked one of the most spectacular comebacks in sporting history, so it would be incredibly unfortunate if a crash that happened just a week after his title coronation was to mark a downfall from which he never recovered. 

One must always write Marc at one’s own peril. While he may be down, he is certainly not out. 

Despite claims to the contrary, it appears Marc hasn't fully recovered from his shoulder injury - and his fitness is impacting his results on track

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images