Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez’s preparations for the 2026 season opener in Thailand were far from smooth, and it has cast some doubt over his performance.
After fracturing his shoulder in a crash in Indonesia last year, the Ducati rider has been working hard over the winter to get himself back to full fitness. Marquez did not take risks with his recovery, slowly building himself up for the first pre-season test in Malaysia.
Overall, the 32-year-old’s run at Sepang was a success, but Alex Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia’s race simulations were faster than his. He admitted that he was slowly getting there in terms of fitness, but he suffered numerous setbacks in Buriram.
Are we now seeing a different Marc Marquez?
Marquez crashed twice on day one of the test, and then again on Sunday. Subsequently, he did not complete a race simulation, with a virus also hampering his physical condition.
Marquez’s ‘instinct to go fast’ caused his crashes in Thailand, and Peter Bom thinks this could be a problem when it comes to his championship defence in 2026.
Peter Bom says Marc Marquez is more ‘vulnerable’ in 2026 after ‘very silly’ test crashes
Marquez admitted his body ‘hasn’t recovered’ as expected, as he is still not at 100% fitness heading into the Thailand Grand Prix. He will still be one of the favourites for victory, but Bom sees the Spaniard as more ‘vulnerable’ after his ‘very silly’ crashes in testing.
“There is a serious chance that Marc’s not going to run away with the championship, probably not even win it, because Marc seems to become quicker, a lot more vulnerable than he was earlier, when he was younger,” he said on the Oxley Bom MotoGP Podcast.
“He doesn’t bounce so well anymore. And he still keeps crashing. He went down three times, and the first one was really stupid. The first one was really, really silly and could have hurt him already a lot.
Is this why Marc Marquez WON’T win the 2026 MotoGP championship?
“So the nature of the beast doesn’t change. He needs to take risks to feel the bike, to feel himself alive and to say something. And he bounced so well that he got away with that for years. He doesn’t do that anymore.
“He’s bruised and battered, he still doesn’t say his shoulder is 100% after last year. So he is very vulnerable, but he doesn’t stop crashing.
“He’s, in the end, his own biggest enemy, his own biggest problem, probably for the championship. And all the other Ducatis are closer to him now, because he can’t make the difference anymore to that. So that’s something that comes up from me, it’s going to be an interesting championship.”
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Who are Marc Marquez’s opponents in 2026?
Many will see Marquez as the favourite for the title in 2026, given his dominance in 2025. However, with his physical condition still not being at its best, he could be in for a tough title defence.
With the GP26 looking more comfortable and consistent than its predecessor, Alex Marquez and Bagnaia will certainly be in the mix. Meanwhile, Marco Bezzecchi and Aprilia have been making strong progress since the end of last season.
Loris Capirossi thinks Bezzecchi and Bagnaia will fight Marquez for the title. The Italian duo look re-energised heading into the season and have been showing encouraging pace in testing.
Pedro Acosta named Alex Marquez as a title rival when asked for his 2026 contenders. It is clear that Marc Marquez will be in for a tough fight at Ducati this year.
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