Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez will be the rider to beat in 2026 after dominating MotoGP in 2025 with Ducati.
The Spaniard missed the last four races of the season after a crash in Indonesia, but Marquez had already wrapped up the championship. Winning his seventh title the round before in Japan, he finished 78 points clear of brother Alex Marquez.
The Ant of Cervera was almost unstoppable in 2025, winning 25 races, including Sprints, across the season. Heading into 2026, he is looking to continue his dominance and claim another title with Ducati.
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But there is the question of whether the 32-year-old will be fit after fracturing his right collarbone in Indonesia last year. Marquez admits he is still struggling with the injury as he returns to training ahead of pre-season testing.
Nevertheless, many will be expecting the Ducati star to be the favourite for the title. But he will be facing fierce competition.
Pedro Acosta names Marco Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia as Marc Marquez’s 2026 rivals
In Marquez’s absence at the end of 2025, Aprilia made huge strides forward with Marco Bezzecchi. The Italian won the last two races in commanding fashion, and he will be looking to continue the momentum in 2026.
Massimo Rivola is backing Bezzecchi for the title, and Pedro Acosta agrees. He still expects Marquez to be the one to beat in 2026, but he also stressed that the Aprilia rider, Alex Marquez and Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia are also his rivals.
Acosta told GPOne: “He’s the guy who should have the number one on the bike. After all, he overcame a difficult five-year period, got on a bike and immediately fought for the championship.
“So, even with his injury, he’ll be the man to beat. But I think we also have to take Bezzecchi, Alex Marquez and Pecco into account, because I think they’re the riders who will be fighting for the championship. It’s clear that Marc will still be the man everyone will be fighting against.”
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Naturally, Acosta would also like to fight towards the front of the pack in 2026. The KTM rider made huge progress in the second half of 2025, scoring 12 podiums after the summer break and finishing P4 in the standings.
But that is not good enough for the 21-year-old, as he wants to be winning races. However, KTM have not been able to give him the tools to claim his maiden win, and not much is expected to change in 2026.
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Marc Marquez has changed his mind about Acosta and his title chances this season. He had initially named him as a rival, but at Ducati’s 2026 launch, he omitted his name from consideration.
Acosta is set to leave KTM in 2027, with rumours suggesting that he is bound for Ducati. He could wind up being Marquez’s teammate next year.
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