Marco Bezzecchi
Luca Cadalora believes Marc Marquez will be among the favourites to win this week’s Brazilian Grand Prix, despite claims that the Goiania track will not suit the Ducati star.
There is a belief that Goiania’s right-hand corners make Brazil the worst race for Marquez to try to kickstart his 2026 season, given the ongoing issues with his right shoulder. Nine of the 14 corners at Goiania are right-handers, which can make the track unfavourable to Marquez.
Marquez has preferred left-handers throughout his career, and his ability to carry more pace in left-hand turns often sets him apart, especially at the German Grand Prix. As you also only use the left side of the tyre from Turn 5 to 10 at Goiania, tyre temperature could be an issue.
Yet Cadalora expects Marquez to rival Aprilia ace Marco Bezzecchi and Pedro Acosta of KTM to win the first Brazilian GP since 1992. MotoGP returns to the South American country this week, and is returning to Goiania for the first time since Kevin Schwantz won there in 1989.
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Luca Cadalora tips Marc Marquez to fight for the Brazilian GP win as his shoulder injury limited him in Thailand
The Brazilian GP has been touted as a bounce-back event for Marquez, after the Ducati rider started his latest MotoGP title defence with P2 in the Buriram Sprint and a retirement in the Thailand Grand Prix. Marquez suffered a puncture after breaking his rear tyre rim on a kerb.
READ MORE: All you need to know about the Brazilian Grand Prix, including Goiania stats
Additionally, Marquez is still regaining fitness following his shoulder surgery last October, as he does not yet feel 100% ready to push the Ducati Desmosedici GP26 to its limits. Cadalora feels Marquez’s shoulder injury held him back in Thailand, but expects to see more in Brazil.
“As we saw at the end of last year, Bezzecchi has confirmed this,” Cadalora told Moto.it. “In the past, we’ve seen Aprilia’s ups and downs and, instead, they’ve put four riders in the top five. They’ve found a confident rider, and the RS-GP is starting to look good!
“Ducati? It seems to me that already last year, many of them were less consistent, apart from Marquez, of course. Then perhaps we haven’t yet seen Ducati’s potential with MM, who wasn’t physically at his best and in Buriram he rode a bit on the defensive.
“Acosta? He’s doing everything himself. He’s putting a lot of effort into it. He’s very strong.”
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Cadalora is right to highlight that Marquez’s shoulder injury played a part in the Ducati rider struggling at the Thailand GP, where Bezzecchi and the Aprilia RS-GP were the best package due also in part to the RS-GP liking Michelin’s harder rear tyre carcass better than the GP26.
Marquez is using Ducati’s 2024 aero in 2026 due to his shoulder injury, as it is less physically demanding than the package the Borgo Panigale crew experimented with during pre-season testing. It now remains to be seen what physical state Marquez is in when he lands in Brazil.
The make-up of the 2026 MotoGP calendar has given Marquez three weeks to regain more fitness since the Thailand GP on March 1. Marquez will now hope to find some momentum in Brazil this week ahead of returning to one of his favourite playgrounds, COTA, next week.
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