MotoGP title leaders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin have both warned that Marc Marquez remains a serious contender in the 2026 championship—even as the Ducati star recovers from double surgery and is set to miss this weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix.
Marquez, who underwent operations on his foot and a nerve issue in his right arm, could see his points deficit to Bezzecchi widen from 71 to as much as 108. Despite this, Bezzecchi pointed to Marquez’s historic dominance, noting, “Marc won the championship last year in Japan, five races before the end. So personally, I never rule out Marc from the title. Now it’s very early in the championship, so everything can happen, and for sure Marc—when he comes back—will be super hungry for winning. So I think for sure he will fight.”
Jorge Martin, just one point behind Bezzecchi, echoed the sentiment: “For me also, if somebody has demonstrated that he can go from the lowest to the highest again, it’s Marc. So we cannot discount him. I hope he recovers and is back with us very soon.”
Even while riding with a nerve problem that left him “lapping half a second from my limits,” Marquez broke the Le Mans lap record in Q1 before crashing out in the Sprint. His dominant 2025 title, clinched with five rounds to spare despite missing the season’s end, is fresh proof of his resilience.
Alex Marquez, winner of last year’s Catalunya round and the only rider to defeat Aprilia in a main race this season, stressed that Marc’s return date is still uncertain: “I think first of all, we need to see when he will come back. If he will miss one race, two, three or four. I don’t know. I think nobody knows. Then, we will be able to discuss if he still has some options. Now it’s too early. I think he’s not thinking about the championship, he’s thinking about recovering himself and that’s it.”
Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi agrees it’s too early to predict Marquez’s return, or whether he’ll be fit for the next round at Mugello.
With VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio currently third in the standings, 44 points behind Bezzecchi, the championship picture remains wide open—but the paddock consensus is clear: never count out Marc Marquez.
