Marco Bezzecchi
Mat Oxley feels Marc Marquez’s win in the Sprint Race at the 2026 MotoGP Brazilian Grand Prix was “fairly ominous” as the Ducati rider’s shoulder is still not fully healed.
Marquez scored his first win of 2026 in Goiania on Saturday after fighting back past Yamaha rival Fabio Quartararo to pip VR46 ace Fabio Di Giannantonio for the victory. The 33-year-old only hit the chequered flag 0.213 seconds clear of the Italian after taking the lead on Lap 12.
Di Giannantonio scored pole for the Brazilian GP earlier in the day and led the Sprint Race in Goiania comfortably until the final laps. The 27-year-old ultimately only put a foot wrong on Lap 12 of 15 when he ran wide at Turn 12, but it was enough to open the door for Marquez.
A small mistake from Di Giannantonio was all that Marquez needed to pounce, as he took to the VR46 star’s inside on the run to the right-hand Turn 13. The factory Ducati ace would not offer his foe aboard the same Desmosedici GP26 as him a chance to reclaim the lead, either.
Marc Marquez scores his first win of 2026 in the Brazilian Grand Prix Sprint! Who was your rider of the race?
Mat Oxley thinks Marc Marquez’s Brazilian Sprint win is ‘ominous’ as his shoulder is not healed
Marquez’s controlled race for his first win of the 2026 MotoGP season in the Goiania Sprint was “fairly ominous” for Oxley, as the seven-time champion has claimed at the Brazilian GP that his right shoulder is still recovering from the surgery he required back in October 2025.
READ MORE: All you need to know about the Brazilian Grand Prix, including Goiania stats
The Cervera native underwent the operation on his right shoulder after suffering a coracoid fracture and ligament damage in the Indonesian Grand Prix. Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi took Marquez out of the race, with his trip through Mandalika’s gravel trap causing the damage.
Oxley said on X: “Marc Marquez said earlier today, ‘We are defending in a good way’, i.e. his shoulder still is not fully fixed, which makes that Sprint victory fairly ominous.”
Marquez had to sit out the final four rounds of the 2025 season as a result of his surgery last October. He only got back on a MotoGP bike at the 2026 Sepang test, and was clearly not fully fit at the opening round of the 2026 campaign in Thailand, despite fighting at the front.
Alex Barros thinks Marquez’s shoulder could take six more months to heal fully, as the final 10% is the hardest part to regain. Also, as a result of his ongoing recovery, Marquez is using Ducati’s 2024 aero in 2026 because of his shoulder injury, as it is less physically demanding.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
