Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati head into the last two rounds of the 2025 MotoGP season without this year’s riders’ champion Marc Marquez following the surgery to resolve his shoulder injury.
The 32-year-old has opted to sit out the final events in Portugal and Valencia, having initially hoped to only sit out the rounds in Australia and Malaysia before further tests revealed that an operation was needed. He will also miss the post-season test in Valencia later this month.
While test rider Michele Pirro stood in for the past two rounds, Ducati have announced that Nicolo Bulega will replace Marquez in Portugal and Valencia. The World Superbike racer will make his MotoGP debut aboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP25 at the Portuguese Grand Prix.
Marquez sustained his shoulder injury on the opening lap of last month’s Indonesian Grand Prix after being hit by Aprilia ace Marco Bezzecchi, who misjudged their speed for Turn 7 at Mandalika. The Spaniard is now focusing on his recovery ahead of making a return in 2026.
Marc Marquez will not face any ‘lasting effects’ from his shoulder injury following surgery
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali notes that while Marquez is showing signs of progress after the surgery for his shoulder injury, the Cervera native still faces a “fairly significant” recovery timeline. But the operation has ensured that Marquez will not endure any “lasting effects”.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend
Marquez had to spend the first four weeks after the operation to repair the coracoid process and ligaments in his right shoulder with his arm immobilised. He is now scheduled to get the bandages removed next Tuesday, November 11, and instigate the next phase of his recovery.
Domenicali told Sky Italia: “Marc will have his bandages removed on Tuesday and will begin physiotherapy to recover his shoulder. We know it’s a complex issue.
“The good news is that the bone and ligament fixation is completely resolved, so there will be no lasting effects. There will be a fairly significant recovery time.”
Marc Marquez’s shoulder surgery revealed the screws from his 2020 arm injury were bent
MotoGP’s official doctor Angel Charge raised fears that Marquez could face “consequences” from his injury if it was not treated correctly, prior to the Ducati rider undergoing surgery in October. Domenicali has quelled those fears as Marquez enters the next leg of his recovery.
The operation to address his shoulder also offered an additional, unforeseen benefit. Charte recently shared that Marquez’s shoulder surgery revealed the screws used to repair his arm injury from 2020 were bent, which the operation this October allowed the doctors to repair.
Marquez required four operations to address the humerus bone in his right arm following a career-threatening crash during the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez while with Honda. Ducati saw Marquez win his first MotoGP title since his injury in 2020 with the 2025 crown.
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