Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez has rubbished Jorge Lorenzo’s suggestion that the Ducati ace is now at “war” with KTM’s Pedro Acosta following their duels at the 2026 Thailand Grand Prix.
Ducati rider Marquez and KTM racer Acosta locked horns from the start of the 2026 MotoGP season in Buriram. The pair engaged in a back-and-forth battle for the Sprint Race win at the Chang International Circuit, and the Spanish pilots fought once more during the Thailand GP.
Acosta also left Buriram as the championship leader with a seven-point lead over Aprilia ace Marco Bezzecchi, with Marquez just eighth in the standings to launch his latest title defence. Marquez trails Acosta by 23 points as the 2025 champion had to retire from the Thailand GP.
Ducati only saw Marquez take points in Thailand with his P2 finish in the Sprint Race, which Acosta won because of his compatriot’s penalty. Acosta did not feel “like a winner” after the Buriram Sprint, having only inherited the lead after Marquez was ordered to drop a position.
Was Marc Marquez’s dig at Pedro Acosta really necessary?
Acosta told reporters in Thailand that 'it wasn't a one-day [championship] lead like Marc said'.
Marc Marquez is not focused on a war with Pedro Acosta, only on improving his results
The stewards felt Marquez was overly aggressive with his overtake on Acosta for the lead on the penultimate lap of the Sprint Race in Buriram. The KTM rider ran wide at the last corner, having had to lift his bike to prevent a crash after Marquez made a late lunge under braking.
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Speaking to GPOne after the Sprint Race in Buriram, three-time MotoGP champion Lorenzo suggested “the war is on” between Marquez and Acosta. Lorenzo feels their back-and-forth battle amid reports they will be teammates at Ducati in 2027 revealed their growing rivalry.
“It will be a battle between the two roosters,” he said. “Marc still has immense qualities. But with age and injury, he will lose something physically. Acosta is on the rise. The war is on.”
But Marquez refutes Lorenzo’s suggestion, and he even claims he is “waving the white flag”. The seven-time MotoGP champion says he is only focused on improving his results, as he is still striving to rebuild the fitness in his right shoulder after he required surgery last October.
Marquez told Mundo Deportivo: “No. I’m at peace with myself, waving the white flag. And above all, I’m looking for that foundation that will allow us to build a good future this year.”
Jorge Lorenzo thinks the ‘war is on’ with Ducati set to sign Pedro Acosta for 2027
Would this line-up create too much conflict at Ducati?
Marquez revealed in Buriram that he is using Ducati’s 2024 front aero package as it is not as physically demanding as their 2025 package. He feels it is a necessary decision because of his ongoing recovery from the coracoid fracture and ligament damage in his right shoulder.
On top of Marquez’s ongoing recovery, Ducati struggled more than most did with the hard tyre casing that Michelin supplied in Thailand. Marquez’s issues regularly offered Acosta the chance to take advantage during the Sprint Race, which ultimately led to their late incident.
A podium finish in the Grand Prix also went amiss in Buriram, as Marquez had to retire from the Thailand GP with a puncture. He did well to avoid a crash after suffering a puncture due to damage to his wheel rim from striking the kerb at Turn 4 while fighting with Acosta for P3.
Yet their battle in the Buriram Sprint convinced Lorenzo that Marquez and Acosta are now at “war”, amid claims they could become teammates next year. It is said that Ducati are on the verge of signing Acosta, who is out of contract at KTM, once Marquez agrees to a new deal.
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