Marc Marquez once confronted Honda’s Japanese bosses over how they were treating one colleague

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Marc Marquez is a team player and the effect of his absence at Ducati over the next few MotoGP races will be felt.

The Spaniard’s collarbone fracture could spell the end of his campaign, but he’s not one to die wondering. Marquez’s ‘goal’ is to return in 2025, but he has stressed the importance of listening to the advice given to him by doctors.

In fact, it has been nearly three years since Marquez last missed a race due to injury, which shows how consistent he has been since joining Ducati. Frustratingly, this incident wasn’t even his fault, but he avoided aggravating previous damage to his body. That part is important.

Marquez can’t repeat his ‘biggest mistake’ by trying to get back into competition before his body is ready. He doesn’t want to ruin any chances of a MotoGP title defence in 2026. Ducati have ‘already’ alerted Michele Pirro, who may have to replace the Spaniard for the next two races.

READ MORE: Dani Pedrosa casts doubt on Marc Marquez’s recovery after watching Indonesian Grand Prix crash

Marc Marquez once confronted Honda bosses after colleague ‘screwed up’

During his later Honda days, Marquez found himself having to push the limits to be in contention for results. In his earlier years, he had a bike that he knew he could compete with when he turned up, but that eventually changed.

Valentino Rossi didn’t like Marquez copying him, and some of the things he learned will still be helping him today. At the 2022 Americas Grand Prix, the Spaniard suffered an electrical issue at the start, sending him to the back of the pack and ruining any chance of what would have been his only victory all season.

Although he felt he had the pace to win, he recovered to sixth place. After the race, he had to remind bosses that firing the individual at fault for the issue was unfair, given that everyone makes mistakes. It was a reminder of his strong leadership.

“I had a meeting with the team,” he said in episode two of Red Bull’s Marc Marquez – All In documentary. “And I didn’t let you guys in because it was more than just a meeting.

“‘Guys, we win and lose together. How many times have I screwed up?’ In the past 10 years, we hadn’t had any mechanical or human error on the bike.

“And I told them, ‘Guys, we f—— own the grid, you guys and me.’ It came out like that. I had to talk to the Japanese guys that were angry. ‘How could this happen?’ and I said, ‘Hey, 10 years. One mistake. Are you going to fire him for this? For one mistake? How many did he avoid?’ I said it just like that.”

READ MORE: Marc Marquez’s arm surgeon reveals what he said immediately after career-saving operation

What happened to Marc Marquez after the 2022 Americas Grand Prix?

Marquez would go on a bit of a barren run over the next four races, finishing no higher than fourth before missing six races in a row in the middle of the season.

That was because he had to return to the United States for a fourth surgery on his right arm, damaged in a horrific shunt at the season-opening Spanish Grand Prix in 2020.

Somehow, just weeks after his return in Australia, he managed a second place, but missing nearly a third of the campaign condemned him to 13th in the standings.

A 14th place in 2023 would be his last straw, as he left Honda to join Gresini and get his hands on a Ducati bike. The rest, they say, is history.