Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez has never come back from a points deficit as large as the one he faces in 2026, yet the Ducati rider can prove he is still the favourite for the title at Mugello.
Many had expected Marquez would lift back-to-back riders’ titles in his first two years in the factory Ducati crew given the dominance he showed en route to winning the 2025 title. But the shoulder injury he suffered in October and the subsequent effects have taken their toll.
A first-lap crash with Marco Bezzecchi of Aprilia at Mandalika last term saw Marquez suffer a coracoid fracture and ligament damage. The crash also bent two screws in his right shoulder from his Latarjet surgery in 2019, but the problem only became evident at the start of 2026.
Marquez only felt discomfort in his shoulder when riding a MotoGP bike, which left him at a big disadvantage. So, Marquez privately planned to have surgery on his shoulder, but a huge highside during the Sprint at Le Mans saw the Spaniard elect to bring the operation forward.
Should Marc Marquez try to return at the Italian Grand Prix?
Marc Marquez can deal Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin a title hammer blow by winning at Mugello
Marquez hid the discomfort in his right shoulder even from Ducati until a tearful moment in their garage at Le Mans when he admitted to riding with “one and a half arms”. His highside in France triggered his admission, having also fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.
READ MORE: Marc Marquez’s first MotoGP title with Ducati was defined by five moments
Sitting out the French GP and the Catalan Grand Prix weekend to recover from the surgeries has now left Marquez facing an 85-point deficit to Bezzecchi atop the riders’ standings. Yet a victory on his potential return at the Italian Grand Prix on May 29-31 can change the game.
A report by Motorsport.com claims Ducati have ‘everything ready’ for Marquez to return at Mugello, provided that he receives medical clearance to feature in the Italian GP weekend. Ducati have not put Marquez under any pressure to return, but the team are ready for him.
It remains to be seen whether Marquez decides to return at the Italian GP, but a victory at Mugello would fire shockwaves to Aprilia pair Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin – who leads the Ducati star by 70 points – that he is still a force to be reckoned with in the 2026 title fight.
Marquez has never come back from a points deficit as big as the one he faces in 2026 and still won the title, having largely enjoyed strong starts during the seasons in which he won his seven championships. Marquez’s biggest title comeback to date was 37 points in 2017.
What else needs to happen before MotoGP riders form a union?
In 2017, Marquez fell to a 37-point deficit to then-Yamaha rider Maverick Vinales after the Italian GP. Now, almost a decade later, Mugello can stage the start of a historic run, given that Ducati’s home circuit is one of the most physically demanding tracks on the calendar.
Max Biaggi has warned Marquez against returning at Mugello, due to the physical toll that his shoulder would be subjected to if he races at the Italian GP. So, if Marquez were to win the Italian GP on his return from injury, it can deal a hammer blow to Bezzecchi and Martin.
Martin winning the Sprint at Le Mans and the French GP stamped his name on a title race that Bezzecchi had looked likely to control. But neither Aprilia rider left the Catalan GP with any more momentum, as Raul Fernandez took Martin out and Bezzecchi struggled all week.
All the while, Gresini racer Alex Maruqez and VR46 star Fabio Di Giannantonio showed the Ducati GP26 can be a race-winning bike for Marc Marquez (once his shoulder is fit enough). Alex Marquez won the Sprint Race in Barcelona and he may have also won the Catalan GP – which Di Giannantonio ultimately won – were it not for his crash with KTM’s Pedro Acosta.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
