Marco Bezzecchi
Some MotoGP paddock insiders believe that Marc Marquez has ‘long’ passed his peak, according to a report. Marquez is out of this weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix after undergoing surgery on Sunday.
The reigning world champion broke a bone in his foot after a violent highside in the Le Mans Sprint. He was already planning to have a procedure on his shoulder to realign a screw that was pressing against his radial nerve.
Doctors treated both injuries in Madrid, ruling Marquez out of at least one race weekend. His return timeline will be dictated by the pace of his recovery.
Do you think Marc Marquez’s latest injury could see him retire at the end of 2026?
Disagreement in the MotoGP paddock over Marc Marquez’s prospects
According to Speedweek, the MotoGP paddock is divided on Marquez’s future after his latest injury. Some remain confident that he can make a ‘successful comeback’, regarding the operations as ‘just another hurdle’.
Marquez demonstrated his ‘grit and hunger for success’ by winning the 2025 title and completing one of sport’s great stories. He returned to the top of MotoGP after a serious arm injury that required four separate surgeries between 2020 and 2022.
Is Marc Marquez’s body still up to the challenge of MotoGP?
However, there are other insiders who fear that he expended all his mental energy on that comeback. It will be difficult to summon the motivation to fight through another injury after achieving his ultimate objective; Marquez himself says he has ‘nothing to prove’ in MotoGP.
The sceptics see a version of Marquez that is now well past his best due to age and an accumulation of injuries. They suspect even he has ‘realised’ that his body is no longer up to the challenge.
What Marc Marquez’s doubters seem to be forgetting
In all likelihood, the 2026 title is gone for Marquez. His absence on Sunday at Le Mans leaves him 71 points behind Marco Bezzecchi, and the gap is poised to increase further in Barcelona.
The question now is whether he retains an appetite to compete in 2027 and beyond, and whether he will do so at a title-winning level. But Marquez should not be written off yet.
Prior to his season-ending injury at the 2025 Indonesian GP, Marquez was on a run of eight wins in 10 races. That was less than a year ago.
Even with a nerve issue limiting his strength, Marquez has bagged a pole position and won two Sprint races this year. The rider himself is relieved to have an explanation for his slight drop-off.
Marquez only needs a small improvement to return to a world-beating level, and there’s reason to believe the latest shoulder operation will provide that.
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