Marco Bezzecchi
Johann Zarco believes Marc Marquez will win the 2026 MotoGP title, but his lingering shoulder injury might open the door for three rivals to contend for the championship.
Marquez won the 2025 title in record time after joining Ducati last season, only to then miss the final four rounds due to an injury. The 33-year-old required surgery last October, after he suffered a coracoid fracture and ligament damage in his right shoulder in the Indonesian GP.
The Spaniard did not get back on a MotoGP bike until the 2026 Sepang test in February, and he continued to face issues with his shoulder at the season-opening Thailand GP. Marquez is still far from being at his physical peak, as he is still striving to regain strength in his shoulder.
Marquez is even using Ducati’s 2024 aero in 2026 due to his shoulder, as he realised during testing that he required a less physically demanding set-up. Marquez still started 2026 with P2 in the Buriram Sprint and was in the podium fight before his puncture in the Thailand GP.
If you were Marc Marquez, when would you retire?
Johann Zarco tips Marco Bezzecchi and Alex Marquez to be Marc Marquez’s biggest 2026 title rivals over Francesco Bagnaia
Zarco believes how Marquez’s shoulder heals throughout the 2026 MotoGP season could be the only issue that might prevent the Ducati rider from winning his eighth premier class title thus far. The LCR rider is convinced that a fully-fit Marquez will become the champion again.
READ MORE: All you need to know about the 2026 MotoGP season from calendar to riders
But should Marquez’s shoulder injury prevent him from matching Giacomo Agostini’s record eight premier class titles, then the door would swing open for Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi and Gresini’s Alex Marquez to fight for the title, with Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati also in the mix.
Zarco told MOW: “I see a very strong Marco Bezzecchi. If he starts where he finished, he will certainly be there for the world championship fight. But I definitely see Marc with a much bigger margin than the others.
“For me, Marc will be the world champion, unless he surprises us with shoulder problems. In that case, it would be a fight between Alex and Bez. And Pecco will be there too, for sure.
“But if we are talking about surprises, I’ll tell you the other two. Pecco can’t be considered a surprise. Alex Marquez can.”
Marc Marquez’s shoulder injury has left him playing catch-up after the Thailand Grand Prix
Are you changing any of your 2026 MotoGP predictions after Thailand?
It's only one race, but there were a few surprises!
The Marquez brothers made history in 2025, as Marc and Alex became the first siblings to secure first and second place in the standings. Marc Marquez won the 2025 MotoGP title with a record five rounds to spare, while Alex finished the season 114 points clear of third.
Both Marquez brothers are already needing to play catch-up in 2026, though, after the first round at the Thailand GP. Marc Marquez only ranks eighth in the riders’ standings, and Alex is last out of the 22 riders after he failed to take a single point over the weekend in Buriram.
Marc Marquez’s penalty gifted the Buriram Sprint win to Pedro Acosta, who also secured P2 in the Thailand GP to end the weekend atop the championship standings. Bezzecchi won the Thailand GP, during which Marquez damaged his wheel rim after striking the kerb at Turn 4.
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