Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez is heading into the 2026 MotoGP season with a few unknowns. How will he perform after his collarbone injury, and where will he be in 12 months?
Ultimately, the fate of those rests on his own shoulders. Fortunately, he has the best team on the grid (over the last few years) to tackle such a task with. Ducati are the top dog.
The MotoGP rider market is going to be one of the most exciting parts of the season, and it’s all going to unfold off the track.
Once Marquez confirms his next move, expect chaos. There’s some top-tier talent that will be looking for a new home pretty soon.
Marc Marquez’s new Ducati contract looks a done deal 👀 but who should be his teammate in 2027?
Marquez’s new contract will be announced before the Thailand Grand Prix, and reports suggest that he’ll be staying with his current team.
As for the other side of the garage, Marquez will ‘never’ discuss his teammate out of respect for Francesco Bagnaia, who currently occupies the role next to him. He doesn’t feel that it’s his place.
READ MORE: Marc Marquez issues response to Massimo Rivola’s claim about Ducati signing Pedro Acosta in 2027
Marc Marquez should have waited to see Honda’s 2026 bike before potentially signing a Ducati deal
Marquez was ‘thinking’ about winning all winter, as he battled to recover from some brutal collarbone damage suffered in Indonesia last season.
A successful title defence would help him pull clear of Valentino Rossi’s tally of premier class titles, which would be another sweet moment.
MotoGP fans love Ducati’s 2026 livery, but reports that he has already signed a new deal mean that it certainly won’t be his last bike with them.
It means that Marquez has taken the bold move to effectively ignore the competition and what they might be bringing this year, by not taking a look at their bikes in pre-season testing.
What if Honda do manage to bring a bike capable of winning, and he realises that they will be a genuine threat in 2027?
It’ll be too late, and going back home to have a fairytale ending to his career will be a little more difficult. It’s a gamble signing a contract before testing, if that’s the case, regardless of the incoming regulations changes.
READ MORE: Max Biaggi explains how Marco Bezzecchi was ‘similar’ to Marc Marquez in the 2025 season
When will Marc Marquez get the chance to ride Ducati’s GP26 bike?
Marquez has ‘no intention’ of completing a Ducati test with their World Superbike riders at Portimao in the coming weeks.
Instead, he’s focusing on being as fit as possible for the first pre-season test at Sepang, starting February 3. He may also take part in the shakedown a few days earlier on January 29, if he feels ready.
But he knows the importance of not rushing his return or compromising his chances of making a full recovery.
Down the road, that’s exactly what could end up preventing him from winning again, and he wants to avoid that more than anything.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
