Marc Marquez has admitted he doesn’t expect to be fighting for the win at the Spanish Grand Prix, saying he’s not ready to challenge Marco Bezzecchi yet.
After a month away, MotoGP is back at Jerez. The break followed the Qatar GP being cancelled due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East and probably came at a good time for Marquez, who has been dealing with physical issues throughout 2026.
He’s still feeling the impact of his 2025 shoulder injury and hasn’t made it onto a podium this year. To make matters worse, his forearm injury from Austin is still causing problems, as seen by the scars he showed off during media day in Spain.
Ducati have traditionally done well at Jerez. Aprilia haven’t won there before this season, but Marco Bezzecchi has taken them to victory in every race so far in 2026. This could give Marquez an opening to get back on track—though he doesn’t seem all that convinced himself.
Marquez told Motorsport Espana that while he feels physically ready for the challenge, he doesn’t believe he’s in a position to race Bezzecchi for the win. Instead, he pointed to Jorge Martin as someone who might be better equipped to put pressure on Bezzecchi at Jerez.
“We’ve had three full weeks at home, and I think that’s been good for me to try and take another step forward. I can say that I’m at an optimal level to compete at my best,” said Marquez.
He added, “We’ll see this weekend, but physically I think I’ve reached an acceptable level so that we’re no longer talking about my physical condition, but about my performance on the track.”
“That might not mean going faster or slower, scoring more or fewer points – which I hope it will – but at least it means I’ll enjoy myself more on the bike because you can’t enjoy it with discomfort and pain.”
Marquez was clear about where he stands in terms of expectations: “I’m not in a position to stop Bezzecchi, but I think, for example, Jorge Martín is more in that position. I haven’t even had a podium finish on Sunday this year so with that you can’t expect to win a race right now.”
“We’ve seen with Bezzecchi, who led every lap [of COTA], that the Aprilias are very fast,” Marquez said. “But let’s see if little by little we can take steps and get closer to them. That will be the goal.”
Marquez hasn’t started his title defence as he’d hoped. Injuries over the winter kept him off the bike, and even now, he’s still not fully comfortable with it.
Aprilia have made a strong start to 2026. Bezzecchi and Martin have looked like the class of the field through the first three races.
Marquez called Bezzecchi “unstoppable” after his performance at COTA, and while that view hasn’t changed much heading into Jerez, there’s hope that this weekend could see Marquez back on the podium for the first time this year.
Giacomo Agostini believes Marquez’s real campaign begins now. Jerez is a track where Ducati has historically performed well, though Aprilia won’t be easy to overcome.
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