Marc Marquez says he ‘wouldn’t be Marc’ if he didn’t race at the Italian Grand Prix

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Marc Marquez has admitted that he would not have been himself if he had not returned to MotoGP at the Italian Grand Prix.

Following his successful surgery on his right shoulder and foot after his crash at Le Mans, attention turned to when the Spaniard would return to action in MotoGP.

Marquez initially planned to prioritise Balaton Park and skip the Italian Grand Prix. However, the Ducati rider decided to take part in Mugello, getting the all-clear to race for the Borgo Panigale outfit’s 100th anniversary celebrations.

Marc Marquez admits he ‘wouldn’t be Marc’ if he skipped the Italian Grand Prix

It was a tough weekend for the 33-year-old. Marquez admitted he lacked physical ‘power’, with Mugello being one of the toughest circuits for direction change.

But the Ducati rider was keen to return to the grid. Speaking to MOW after the Italian GP, Marquez said that he would not have been himself if he had not made a return, as he has done several times in the past.

“I’m happy to have come here,” he said. “Part of me was saying, come on, stay home and go back to Balaton, which is an easier and slower track, while Mugello is one of the most difficult.

“The other part of me… told me that throughout my career I’ve given my all and that if I hadn’t jumped on the bike even with the slightest chance of making it and with the doctors’ OK, I wouldn’t be Marc. It was a war, this weekend. I approached it like a war. But I had to start somewhere.”

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Marc Marquez enjoyed brilliant battle with Pedro Acosta at Italian Grand Prix

Qualifying in fourth, Marquez finished a strong P5 in the Sprint and continued to show decent pace on Sunday. He was running in fourth until Pedro Acosta mounted a persistent challenge with his KTM.

Marquez eventually finished seventh behind Ai Ogura, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Acosta. He fell backwards due to his physical limitations, while the KTM rider’s engine deficit dropped him back.

Marquez enjoyed the ‘fantastic’ battle with Acosta, with the pair going toe-to-toe throughout the Grand Prix.

Acosta agreed with Marquez, saying that he stayed behind him to ‘learn’ his movement. It was a great showcase for what fans will expect in 2027, with the pair set to become teammates at Ducati next season.