Marco Bezzecchi
With the 2026 MotoGP season now underway, MotoGP News has taken a look at which riders are currently ruled out through injury and how many races they each could miss.
The 2025 season produced a fair share of crashes, which resulted in several big names missing a number of races. The most notable were Jorge Martin, who could not defend his 2024 MotoGP title, and Marc Marquez, who saw his 2025 title celebrations cut short.
Martin would only start seven of the eight Grands Prix that he entered during his first year as an Aprilia rider in 2025, having endured three lengthy layoffs after joining from Pramac.
Ducati were also without Marquez for the final four rounds of the 2025 season, after he required surgery just one round after securing the riders’ title. It was feared that Marquez’s shoulder surgery could see him miss the start of 2026, but he returned for pre-season.
Gresini were not as fortunate, as Fermin Aldeguer was forced to miss the start of the 2026 season after fracturing his left femur in January. The Spaniard crashed while training at the Aspar Circuit in Valencia after joining Marquez as his compatriot returned from his injury.
What safety changes, if any, do you want to see after the Catalan Grand Prix red flags?
MotoGP changed its concussion protocols for the 2026 season
Ahead of the start of the 2026 campaign, MotoGP’s governing body, the FIM, introduced new guidelines for riders who sustain a concussion during a race weekend.
Intended to promote better treatment of concussion symptoms in motorcycle racing, the new guidelines stipulate that there should be a mandatory 10-day period, at a minimum, of exclusion for any rider who is suspected of having sustained one.
Injuries are a frequent problem for MotoGP riders, though, with many forced to miss a number of races each year. With that in mind, MotoGP News has listed every rider who is currently ruled out through injury, and who they are replaced by.
Pedro Acosta (wrist surgery) – Possible return: German Grand Prix
KTM announced on June 30 that Pedro Acosta had undergone a successful “minor” surgery to address his Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, having elected to bring forward the operation after having to withdraw from the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix.
Acosta pulled over whilst running in sixth place on Lap 13 of 26 at the TT Circuit Assen, and he was soon seen shaking his hand.
The Spaniard also revealed after the Dutch GP that he had been dealing with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for the previous year. So, he had intended to undergo an operation during MotoGP’s summer break following the 2026 German Grand Prix.
KTM do not expect Acosta to miss any races after his surgery, though, and he will aim to return in Germany – pending a medical check at the Sachsenring ahead of the event.
“Pedro Acosta underwent successful minor surgery this morning on his right wrist to treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,” a KTM statement read. “He is expected to return for the German GP, pending a medical check next week.”
Fermin Aldeguer (vertebra injury) – Possible return: British Grand Prix
Gresini confirmed on July 6 that Fermin Aldeguer would not be competing in the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring to “continue his enforced recovery”, having suffered a fracture to the T7 vertebra during practice at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Dr Angel Charte declared Aldeguer unfit to continue competing at Assen in June after the Spaniard crashed during the timed pre-qualifying practice session.
Aldeguer was violently thrown from his Ducati GP25 and was initially transferred to a local hospital for further checks, where it was determined that he had sustained a T7 vertebra fracture.
Gresini initially stated that Aldeguer would continue to be assessed ahead of the German GP to determine whether he could return from injury at the Sachsenring.
But it was decided that Aldeguer would remain absent until at least the British Grand Prix on August 7-9, with Gresini also electing against using a replacement rider for the German GP.
Johann Zarco (knee, leg injury) – Possible return: Unknown
What else needs to happen before MotoGP riders form a union?
When the Catalan Grand Prix initially restarted following Alex Marquez’s crash, LCR rider Johann Zarco was involved in an incident with Ducati’s Francesco Bagnaia and Honda’s Luca Marini at the first corner that immediately triggered another red flag.
Like Marquez, Zarco was taken to a local hospital, where he was diagnosed with damage to the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments as well as the meniscus. He also suffered a ‘small fibula tear’ in the area around his left ankle.
Zarco left the hospital in Barcelona on the Monday after the race and returned to France, where he saw a specialist to determine a plan for his recovery.
However, LCR announced on the Tuesday after the Catalan GP that Zarco would have to wait ‘a couple of weeks’ before undergoing surgery on the damage to his ligaments to give the initial trauma and other injuries time to heal.
Cal Crutchlow made a shock return to MotoGP after nearly three years away to replace Zarco at Mugello and Balaton Park, and LCR have so far decided to keep the Briton on until the Frenchman can return.
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