Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez heads into 2026 as the man to beat in MotoGP, after producing one of his most dominant seasons.
Not everyone expected that he would rock up at Ducati and start winning from day one, almost embarrassing two-time champion teammate Francesco Bagnaia.
It was unfortunate that he got injured towards the end of the campaign, otherwise, multiple MotoGP records would have been under threat in 2025.
Now, Marquez’s focus is on making a full recovery from his Indonesian Grand Prix accident, so he can be close to full fitness for the season-opener in Thailand at the start of March.
How many races will Marc Marquez win in 2026 after his shoulder injury?
Marquez is ‘attracted’ to Honda in 2027, with his contract set to expire at the end of next year, but he would need guarantees that they’ll be competitive first.
Despite his shoulder injury, Luigi Dall’Igna thinks Marquez will perform well in 2026 and expects it to have little bearing on his performance.
READ MORE: Marc Marquez opens up on his ‘challenging’ realisation after needing surgery on his shoulder injury
Casey Stoner thinks Marc Marquez likes a similar style of bike setup
Cal Crutchlow thinks Marquez is a ‘freak’ of nature, and has commended the way he is able to save a bike from crashing as no one else can.
Most of the time, it’s down to his incredible feel for the front end of his bike, which ex-Ducati rider and two-time champion Casey Stoner has just praised, too.
The Aussie shared in Mat Oxley’s new book, Marc The Magnificent, that he sees ‘similarities’ between their riding styles, even though he hasn’t raced for more than a decade and never shared the grid with him.
“Marc is fantastic,” he said. “He’s incredibly fast, and his reaction times are second to none – no one can get close to his reaction times. He’s got a phenomenal feeling for the front end that I never grew up with.
“There are similarities between us in the way we don’t mind the bike moving around, and a lot of that comes from learning dirt track when we were kids, because it really does help you learn how to slide and control, and control those points where the grip comes.”
READ MORE: Ducati CEO admits they are facing ‘an issue’ with Marc Marquez’s MotoGP contract renewal
What difficulties does Marc Marquez face in his injury recovery?
If any rider can come back from an injury, without letting it affect them too much, mentally, it’s Marquez.
The Spaniard has taken an absolute battering over the last five or so years, and continues to get up and carry on racing.
This time, Marquez has found his recovery mentally ‘challenging’, but he’s boosted by having an amazing support network around him.
He missed the post-season test in Valencia, which was an important step with a view to the 2026 season. It means he starts a little behind his Ducati colleagues next year.
But, since he seemed so at home on the GP25, it’s unlikely that he’ll struggle to adapt to the new bike when he gets the chance to ride it.
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