Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez has found himself battling amongst his rivals a lot more this year compared to his title-winning 2025 campaign, and Pol Espargaro is under the impression that it is because his rivals now know how to attack the vulnerable Spaniard.
After starting his tenure with the factory Ducati team with three near-perfect race weekends last year, Marc Marquez’s 2026 term has been of stark contrast.
With three Grands Prix now in the books this year, Marquez has found himself with just one Sprint race win during the six races that have been contested across the two formats.
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Aprilia seemingly now have the dominant bike on the grid, which has been showcased through Marco Bezzecchi’s chokehold over the Grand Prix format.
However, it isn’t just the bike that seems to be the problem for Marquez.
The reigning world champion still doesn’t seem to be 100% fit following an injury at the back end of last year, which has carried through into the current term and offered his rivals an opportunity to exploit his new weaknesses.
Pol Espargaro thinks Marc Marquez’s MotoGP rivals are now benefiting from his new ‘weaknesses’
During a recent interview with Diario AS, former MotoGP star Pol Espargaro gave his thoughts on the current calibre of the premier class grid and how Marquez’s uncharacteristically slow start to the season has affected it.
The KTM test rider began by using FC Barcelona as an example, saying, “This is a reflection I’ve been having for a few days now, during the first few races. Let me give you an analogy.
“Barca went from winning, from leading the pack, to going through this existential crisis where, instead of sitting back and defending and waiting for the outcome, the teams were going out on the attack, which only hurt them more.
“Barca’s problem was that they weren’t competitive, and on top of that, seeing that the other teams were reacting in a completely different way, it overwhelmed them even more. I think something similar is happening now.
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“Between Marc not being at his best, and the other riders seeing that Marc is weak or has certain weaknesses he didn’t have before, they feel more capable of attacking. For example, what we saw with Di Giannantonio in Brazil.
“That also catches Marc a bit off guard, because he doesn’t expect it, he’s not used to it. So it’s a somewhat uncertain situation, I think, for Ducati, for their rivals, and for Marc. But we’ll see if things fall into place after Jerez.”
- READ MORE: Fabio Di Giannantonio showed Marc Marquez he is not ‘afraid’ of him in Brazilian Grand Prix battle
MotoGP’s four-week break has aided Marc Marquez’s quest to return to full form
Marquez’s hopes of putting up a strong defence for his 2025 riders’ title received a boost upon the postponement of the Qatar Grand Prix that was set to take place in April.
The race has now been rescheduled for November, and the four-week break in between the Austin and Jerez rounds of the championship has meant that Marquez has been able to allocate more time towards a full recovery.
However, the Spaniard’s aggressive nature on two wheels has raised concerns over the possibility of him rehashing old injuries if he finds too much confidence in his Ducati bike upon the grid’s return to action at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Neil Hodgson has warned Marquez that one mistake could cost him dearly in Jerez, with another injury surely putting an end to his title defence this year completely.
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