Marco Bezzecchi
Neil Hodgson was shocked after seeing Marc Marquez take the blame for his difficulties at the United States GP, rather than pointing the finger at his Ducati bike.
Marquez has qualified on pole eight times at Austin, but he was only sixth on the grid this year. After a long-lap penalty for taking Fabio Di Giannantonio out of the Sprint, he battled his way to P5 in the Grand Prix.
Ducati publish behind-the-scenes footage from every race on their YouTube channel as part of their ‘Inside’ series. In one clip from the post-Austin episode, Marquez admitted he was ‘struggling’.
‘So many’ MotoGP riders would blame the team, but not Marc Marquez
Hodgson, who was speaking on the Gas it Out podcast, said it’s ‘so clear’ that Marquez is not ‘100% fit’, which may be why he’s reluctant to criticise the team.
But Hodgson says it’s ‘pretty rare’ for a rider to take responsibility like the nine-time world champion did in the US.
Marquez currently ranks second among the six Ducati riders in the standings, five points behind fellow GP26 rider Di Giannantonio (VR46).
Are Marc Marquez’s injuries finally catching up with him?
Last year’s runner-up Alex Marquez is only eighth, one spot ahead of Marc’s factory teammate Francesco Bagnaia. This strongly suggests Ducati have regressed.
“I don’t know if you guys watch the Ducati YouTube channel,” Hodgson said. “Do you know what I found really interesting? Obviously, it’s been edited by Ducati, so they would put this in, but it was a real standout for me, because it’s rare you hear this.
“You’re Marc Marquez, you come in, you’re having your debrief and all he did was blame himself every time. He said, ‘It’s not the bike.’
“I know he’s not 100% fit. Bezz was able to pull the bike five metres tighter on exit through that ‘S’ section to really open up that part of the track, and it was so clear to see.
“Marc was not having it, was he? Wow. I’ve stood in so many garages. I know what I used to say as an ex-rider, I’ve listened to my teammates over the years and I’ve listened to loads of riders since I retired, and it’s pretty rare you hear that.”
Unexpected break in the 2026 MotoGP season could save Marc Marquez
Marquez’s title hopes might just have been salvaged by the enforced break in the season, with the Qatar GP postponed.
This gives Ducati time to investigate their deficit to Aprilia and deliver solutions. By the time the championship belatedly visits Qatar towards the end of the season, the pecking order could look very different.
- READ MORE: Aprilia test rider wary of ‘suffering’ Marc Marquez in MotoGP title fight with Marco Bezzecchi
But most importantly, Marquez has had additional time to rest. If his shoulder really has been his biggest impediment so far, following a season-ending injury last autumn, then time is his greatest ally.
Any gap in the schedule was going to frustrate Bezzecchi given his historic momentum, but the calendar reshuffle could genuinely change the dynamics of the championship if Marquez is now approaching peak fitness.
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