Marc Marquez noticed something after his Indonesia crash that set off ‘alarms’ in his head

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Marc Marquez is already more than a month into his recovery from yet another devastating MotoGP injury.

The seven-time champion was clipped from behind by Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi, sending both bikes into an aggressive gravel trap. It left Marquez with a bad collarbone injury, with ligaments involved, while his rival was able to return to action less than two weeks later in Australia.

It’s a big dent in Ducati’s preparations for 2026, now that they will have to go without their superstar rider, as well as his data and feedback at the post-season test in Valencia.

MotoGP rules state that any participant in the test must ride at the final race, and that arrives far too soon for the Spaniard.

Marquez thinks four rivals can win the title in 2026, and is keeping an eye on the likes of Pedro Acosta as he attempts to defend his crown. Marquez cannot confirm his MotoGP return just yet, and is unsure if he’ll even be back in time for next year’s pre-season test at Sepang. It’s a concerning outlook.

READ MORE: Kevin Schwantz outlines what has helped Marc Marquez ‘the most’ to win 2025 MotoGP title with Ducati

Marc Marquez knew something was ‘not right’ after Indonesia crash sounded ‘alarms’

Nicolo Bulega isn’t ‘enjoying’ replacing Marquez and understands how difficult it is to tend a riding style on the Michelin tyres. It’s definitely a rubber that suits some riders more than others. It’ll be changing for 2027 when Pirelli arrive, which means it could be all change on the grid.

With the MotoGP rider market expected to kick into action very early next year, the new reigning champion could himself with a new contract, without having been on a bike competitively for some time. It all depends on how quickly things unfold.

Thinking back to his accident in an interview with Diario AS, Marquez revealed how ‘alarms’ were going off in his head immediately after crashing.

“When I fall, I notice something in my right shoulder that is not right, and the alarms go off,” he said. “It was quiet in Indonesia, but the concern was inside, and fortunately, it did not affect previous injuries.

“The doctors tell me that if I respect the times, there will be no consequences, and that’s why I don’t forge the machine, I respect the times. Being more or less competitive in 2026 will be marked by my physique, not the Valencia test or that I do some more race in 2025. That’s my priority this winter.”

READ MORE: Marc Marquez once revealed the main ‘fear’ he had about his MotoGP career before joining Ducati

What are the main disadvantages of missing MotoGP’s post-season test?

Missing the post-season test is a setback for Ducati, Marquez, and all of its riders with respect to 2026. They’re effectively starting from behind.

The less data and feedback harvested from the new machine, the more they are going to be left guessing heading into the new year.

That’s not a great position to be in, considering Francesco Bagnaia has led them down a similar path on his side of the garage for the majority of 2025.

Michele Pirro thinks Bagnaia will ‘battle’ Marquez, but the team needs to focus on bringing a winning bike to the track before any of the fun unfolds.