Marco Bezzecchi
Carlos Checa thinks Marc Marquez faces issues with his shoulder injury that could see him beaten in 2026, as they are problems that other riders would struggle to handle.
Marquez has had a difficult start to the 2026 MotoGP season and his latest title defence, but his plight has largely remained exclusive to the feature races. While the Ducati rider remains without a Grand Prix podium after four rounds, he has earned two Sprint Race wins already.
The 33-year-old almost won the Sprint at the season-opening Thailand Grand Prix, too, but a penalty forced him to yield the lead to KTM’s Pedro Acosta on the final lap. Marquez drew a penalty in the Buriram Sprint after forcing Acosta wide for the lead on the penultimate lap.
Controversy also engulfed Marquez’s Sprint win at Jerez last time out, as he cut across the track to switch to his second bike after crashing as the rain started to fall. His weekend got a lot worse on the Sunday, too, as Marquez crashed out of the Spanish Grand Prix whilst P2.
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Carlos Checa doubts other riders could ‘handle’ racing with Marc Marquez’s shoulder injury
Marquez has only taken points in two of the first four Grands Prix this season, having had to retire in Thailand with a puncture after striking the kerb. His shoulder injury has also been a consistent theme this year, having not yet recovered fully after requiring surgery in October.
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Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali admits Marquez’s injury was “more serious” than expected, which has affected how he rides the Desmosedici GP26 so far this year. And Checa feels the injury is also likely to be the most probable reason why Marquez could be beaten in 2026.
“I think Marc, who is a force to be reckoned with, it’s the circumstances that might see him beaten – circumstances that other riders might not be able to handle right now,” Checa told Motosan.
Marquez required surgery after he suffered a coracoid fracture and ligament damage in his right shoulder as a result of his trip through Mandalika’s gravel trap when he was taken out by Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi on the first lap of the 2026 Indonesian Grand Prix last October.
It is now said that Marquez cannot ride naturally with the increased cornering speeds seen in 2026, as the seven-time MotoGP champion is not comfortable on the Ducati GP26 due to his shoulder. He is said to find the required riding style to be unnatural and against his own.
Carlos Checa thinks Marc Marquez and Pedro Acosta would be every team’s ‘dream’ line-up
Former Ducati rider Checa hopes Marquez recovers from his injury to at least be fully fit for the 2027 season, when the Bologna Bullets are expected to replace Francesco Bagnaia with Acosta. It is widely said that Acosta has agreed to join Ducati in 2027 and partner Marquez.
“Pedro and Marc,” Checa added when naming his ideal rider line-up. “But Alex [Marquez] is also doing a fantastic job, and we already had that team [at Gresini] in 2023, Alex and Marc.
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“But in terms of sportsmanship and rivalry, I think the Pedro and Marc team is something special, because it represents the present, with experience and ability – even though Marc is currently dealing with a shoulder injury.
“I hope he can recover 100%, because obviously riding with one and a half arms isn’t easy, and I think that’s what Marc is doing. And Pedro, who’s an up-and-coming rider, with the talent and the hunger, on paper, he’s kind of the one to watch right now…
“But then again, we’ll see how they negotiate and manage that partnership. We are talking about the present, the best version, with probably a rider who wants to take over and have that situation on the same team, well, that could be interesting.
“Then something else, we’ll see who comes out on top, but that’s still to come. That said, I do think that for any team in the paddock, having Marc and Pedro on board would be any manager’s dream.”
Acosta scored his maiden MotoGP win in the Buriram Sprint after Marquez’s penalty, but he has yet to secure a Grand Prix victory through 45 races in the premier class to date. So, the KTM ace sought to get onto Ducati machinery for 2027, ahead of the start of the 850cc era.
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