Marco Bezzecchi
Pedro Acosta has stated that Marc Marquez is ‘back’ after making his return to the MotoGP grid from injury.
The Ducati rider missed the races at Le Mans and Montmelo after he required surgery for his right shoulder and foot. Returning to MotoGP at Mugello, he enjoyed a smooth weekend, finishing P7 at the Italian GP.
His pace was strong on the GP26, considering his physical condition, and he was battling hard with his rivals. Marquez had a brilliant fight with Acosta during the race, but the KTM rider won out in the end as he finished sixth.
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Pedro Acosta says Marc Marquez is ‘back’ after battling him at Mugello
Marquez later admitted he ‘gave up’ towards the end of the race. He had been running fourth, but soon dropped behind Ai Ogura, Fabio Di Giannantonio and Acosta.
While the Spaniard admitted he was not physically up to scratch, he felt the weekend was positive, and he will be looking to carry the momentum into the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Many think that Balaton Park will be more suited to Marquez, as it is anti-clockwise and far less technical and physical than Mugello. Acosta believes that his compatriot, whom he will partner with at Ducati in 2027, will be looking to close the gap in the championship.
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He said via Motosan in Hungary: “It’s true that I didn’t expect to struggle so much at Mugello on Sunday. It’s also a positive thing because the biggest problem at Mugello was that I was being blown away on the straight several times, and in theory that shouldn’t happen here.
“But you never know. Last year there was only one Aprilia, this year there are four. Marc is back, and I’m sure he’s thinking about closing the gap in the championship. It will be a competitive weekend.”
He had more praise for Marquez, as he was quoted by Motorsport Espana: “I don’t have high expectations. It’s true that last year went quite well; this was the first time I led on a Friday in MotoGP.
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“But there was only one competitive Aprilia, Marc Márquez was in his element, and the other Ducatis were struggling a bit more. Now, we’ve arrived with four Aprilias at the front, all the Ducatis, Marc eager to make a statement and recover points for the championship.”
The Ducati rider is pessimistic about his title chances in 2026. After all, he is now 102 points behind leader Marco Bezzecchi after the first seven events.
It would mark the greatest comeback in MotoGP history if the 33-year-old were to win the title from this position. He has his doubts, but ‘no one’ in the paddock is ruling Marquez out of the championship race.
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