Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati will miss Marc Marquez during his absence, as he is the only rider equipped to handle one of their bikes’ biggest issues.
With Marquez undergoing shoulder surgery this week, the Spanish rider is set to miss this weekend’s Catalan Grand Prix. For Ducati, this is a massive blow.
The current timeline suggests Marquez could return before the end of the month for the Italian Grand Prix.
Is Marc Marquez’s body still up to the challenge of MotoGP?
Marc Marquez has been struggling a lot with his injuries, and shouldn’t rush back before he has made a full recovery from his issues.
But his absence, however long it may be, will hurt Ducati, not just in terms of race results, but in performance as well, given their recent issues.
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Marc Marquez is the ‘only’ rider who can handle Ducati’s rear tyre struggles
According to Massimo Falcioni of Gazzetta dello Sport, there is internal concern within Ducati about how they can cope with the absence of Marc Marquez.
Aside from his general brilliance as a rider, Marquez is considered the only rider who can handle the GP26’s rear tyre concerns.
At many points this season, Ducati riders have had to manage the drop in performance and overall wear on the rear tyre, often to mixed results.
This is an issue that has caused the gap between Ducati and Aprilia, as neither Jorge Martin nor Marco Bezzecchi have faced these problems.
And of course, with Martin looking back to his best after his win at the French Grand Prix, there are those within Ducati who are worried about how Marquez’s absence will hurt them.
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Marc Marquez cannot be rushed back from injury
Even with an optimistic timeline for Marquez’s return to the grid, Ducati must be very careful with how they handle his return.
For a rider like Marquez, any time spent away from his bike is going to be agonising, and he might be tempted to rush back before he has made a full recovery.
Marquez reportedly hid his planned surgery from Ducati, which suggests he is taking these injuries more seriously than he has in the past.
But riders can often get carried away after taking a big step to recover and incorrectly estimate when they are ready to return.
It is Ducati’s responsibility to ensure he returns only after making a full recovery. Otherwise, Marquez will struggle to be at his best, as we have seen this season.
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