Marco Bezzecchi
Mat Oxley thinks Marc Marquez could attempt to take part in this weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix despite being ruled out by Ducati.
Marquez underwent two surgeries on separate injuries on Sunday. Doctors first attended to the broken bone in his foot after his spectacular Le Mans Sprint crash, then they removed two screws and a bone fragment from his shoulder.
The reigning world champion had a procedure on the joint last autumn after a season-ending crash at the Indonesian GP, but a misaligned screw started to press on his radial nerve, weakening him in the early rounds of the season.
Is Marc Marquez’s body still up to the challenge of MotoGP?
Could Marc Marquez attempt the impossible at the Catalan Grand Prix?
Marquez said on Saturday that he would ‘for sure’ not be racing in Barcelona, via The Race. Ducati have also announced that they will not replace the Spaniard, instead simply fielding one bike (Francesco Bagnaia).
But writing on X, former racer and MotoGP paddock insider Mat Oxley said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if MM93 is in his leathers on Friday morning.”
Theoretically, Marquez could try to ride the bike in practice to assess his condition. He has already fallen 71 points off the championship lead and knows his title hopes could soon be gone for good.
Who is going to win the Catalan Grand Prix?
There is also the incentive to ride in front of his home crowd, but even though the surgery was a success, it’s still extremely unlikely that he will seek permission to compete.
Marquez is more likely to return at Mugello later this month, though he may have to wait until the Hungarian GP, depending on the pace of his recovery.
Why Ducati don’t have to replace Marc Marquez in Barcelona under MotoGP rules
When Marquez withdrew, the initial expectation was that Ducati would turn to veteran test rider Michele Pirro, who has already filled in for Fermin Aldeguer at Gresini this year.
Nicolo Bulega deputised for Marquez at the last two rounds of the 2025 season, but the Italian has World Superbikes commitments to attend to this weekend.
- READ MORE: Jorge Martin says Marc Marquez is still his ‘main rival’ in MotoGP title race despite injury layoff
Ducati are allowed to run just one bike because there are fewer than 11 days between the two races. That’s the timeframe established within the rules.
If Marquez is still unavailable for Mugello, then Ducati will need to name a replacement, though another WSBK clash will rule out Bulega.
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