Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez has listed his ‘opponents’ for the 2026 season after cruising to the 2025 title. Marquez is already on the back foot after injury ruled him out of the Valencia test.
However, the Ducati rider won 11 of the 18 races he started this year, as well as 14 Sprints. Only his late absence has kept the margin respectable.
Brother Alex, who won the Malaysian Grand Prix and the Portugal Sprint, has closed the gap to 100 points and could bring it down to 63 with a perfect Valencia weekend.
Alex Marquez will race a factory-spec Ducati next year, which theoretically makes him more of a threat. However, riding the GP24 may have been an advantage this season based on the inconsistency of Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio on the newer machinery.
Marc Marquez includes Pedro Acosta in list of 2026 ‘opponents’
Speaking to outlets including AS, Marquez was asked to name the rivals he considered genuine threats to his crown in 2026. He feels that Alex ‘has to’ be in contention.
He’s also wary of Marco Bezzecchi, who won his second Grand Prix of 2025 in Portimao and effectively sealed third place in the process.
Marquez expects KTM’s Pedro Acosta, who has scored five podiums in his last six starts, to fight for the top three at ‘every race’ next year. Acosta is still yet to take his first victory but has been one of the standout riders on the grid lately.
And Marquez wouldn’t rule out Bagnaia either, even though he has as many DNFs as GP podiums in 2025 (eight).
“Looking ahead to next year, we’ll see how the factories work during this winter, but Aprilia won’t be a surprise,” the world champion said. “Bezzecchi will be there and will fight for the title, Alex will be there and has to be fighting for the world championship.
“And I think KTM and Acosta won’t be a surprise. They have improved and are improving, and they’re going to fight for the top three in every race.
“I won’t forget Pecco Bagnaia, but we’ll talk about that in February or March.”
Marc Marquez agrees with Francesco Bagnaia about where the Ducati bike must improve
Earlier this autumn, Marquez told Bagnaia he needed to reset, and he reiterated that point here. Rider #63 will apparently benefit from the upcoming winter break.
Bagnaia won three out of eight races between Japan and Malaysia, but didn’t score in any of the other five.
After qualifying on the second row at the Portuguese GP last weekend, he slipped to eighth in the Sprint and fell on Sunday.
“It pains me to see a teammate like this, especially because having two fit riders contributes so much to the project,” said Marquez. “He’s been through a total rollercoaster ride, which even he can’t explain.
“The best thing that could happen to him is for winter to come, for him to reset, and return to his best form in 2026. Because we saw in Japan and Malaysia that he hasn’t forgotten how to ride a bike and that he’s fast.”
When asked what Ducati could improve next year, Marquez raised the point that Bagnaia had been making all season – front-end feedback.
“I think next year we can take a small step forward in terms of the feeling with the bike at the front, but without forgetting that the rear is very important because it’s a compromise,” he explained.
“You always see the grass is greener on the other side. And that’s where the balance lies: having the most balanced bike.”
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