Marco Bezzecchi
Liberty Media will be looking to stamp their authority in 2026 as they enter their first season as MotoGP owners, and Marc Marquez is the face of it.
Following Liberty’s acquisition of the sport from Dorna, excitement has been building about MotoGP’s future. Given their incredible success in Formula 1, turning it into a multi-billion-pound empire, they are expected to have the same impact on its two-wheeled counterpart.
Several initiatives have already been rumoured, such as a Netflix-style documentary series and a merger between F1 and MotoGP on the same race weekend. Heading into 2026, the sport is coming off one of the greatest comeback stories of all time, as Marc Marquez won the 2025 title with Ducati.
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The Ant of Cervera was utterly dominant, winning 11 Grand Prix and 14 Sprint races, wrapping up the championship at Motegi. But there lies a problem – his dominance, and Spanish dominance in MotoGP for that matter, is not what Liberty needs to progress the sport.
More than half of MotoGP’s grid is Spanish or Italian, and riders from those nations have won every title except five since 2000. The new owners will want to explore other markets and attract new audiences – Toprak Razgatlioglu will help Liberty with his immense support in Turkey.
They will also not want to see one rider run away with the title. Close battles on track are what will get new fans engaged in the sport, and Marquez exposed that problem in 2025.
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The 32-year-old was tipped as a clear favourite for the title in 2025. After all, he was with the factory Ducati team, who have dominated MotoGP since the start of the 2020s, and that continued this season.
Marquez adapted to the GP25 instantly and controlled most races he competed in. He won 15 races on the spin from the Sprint at Aragon to the Sprint in Catalunya.
The Spaniard was beaten twice on pure pace, by Alex Marquez in Barcelona and Francesco Bagnaia in Japan. His other defeats came from his own accord – he crashed out in Austin, Jerez and Silverstone and suffered a season-ending injury in Indonesia.
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For the most part, MotoGP was a procession when Marquez was on the track. But during his recovery, the sport became unpredictable, evidenced by six different winners in the last seven races.
Marquez’s injury meant Ducati winning a race was not guaranteed, as Aprilia suddenly caught up and took the fight to the Borgo Panigale outfit. Marc Marquez, Bagnaia, Fermin Aldeguer, Raul Fernandez, Alex Marquez and Marco Bezzecchi all won races in the final seven events.
It was no longer easy to predict who would win, which is exactly what Liberty needs to see consistently if they want to have success in MotoGP. But with Marquez’s current form, it is hard to look past him dominating again in 2026 – he may need to retire before the owners see any progress.
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What has Marc Marquez said about his MotoGP future?
Marquez is aiming to return at the Sepang test in 2026, having missed the final four events of 2025. At 32 years old, fresh off another injury and out of contract next year, many have wondered when the nine-time champion will call time on his career.
Livio Suppo says Marquez will retire when he realises he can be beaten by a stronger rider. When that will be is unclear, but it certainly is not anytime soon.
But where he will be is another question. Marquez has been linked with a return to Honda, with the Spaniard not currently looking to engage in contract negotiations with Ducati.
It is understood that Marquez wants a pay rise from Ducati in 2026, given his success this year. The manufacturer will be eager to keep him on board as they head into the 2027 regulations changes.
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