Feb 28, 2026
3 min read
The seven-time Spanish champion says he is recovering from a collarbone injury, although he admits he is not strong enough to ride his Ducati comfortably.
Marc Marquez starts the MotoGP season with doubts about his fitness: "I don't know 100% what will happen with my right arm"
The seven-time Spanish champion says he has recovered from his shoulder injury but admits he lacks the strength to comfortably ride his Ducati.
Although everyone sees him as the favourite, Marc Marquez will make another attempt to defend his MotoGP title at the Thailand GP this weekend.He hasn't said much so far. But the follow-up activities will start this Friday. He knows some weaknesses on the physical level.The Spaniard, who broke several bones and ligaments in his right femur at the Indonesian GP four months ago, said he did not know the extent of his bruised arm.The lack of power also required him to adjust some of the Ducati's features and change aspects of the ride.
"The injury in Indonesia makes me doubt, of course it wasn't a joke. I need more time to understand the limits, I hope there is room for improvement. I don't know what will be 100% with my right hand now because it is difficult to evaluate it in the winter tests," commented the Catalan.He almost had to remove.Another tough one with canceled holidays and more work in the gym.Despite the preseason, Cervera is motivated to fight for the driver title."If you see me in the group photo, I will fight for the title. We have to come out with these colors and fight for the championship," he said at the first official press conference of the championship. Optimistically, he expects this campaign to go from low to high.
Around him, vice-champion Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) and Italian Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia), third last year, are also very cautious. Nobody is ready to show their cards yet.They are considered his biggest rivals for the crown, although Marc also includes his garage partner Pecco Bagnaia and Murcia's Pedro Acosta (KTM) on the list. "The race weekend will show us where each of us stands and in three or four Grands Prix it will be clear what we can aspire to. For me, consistency will be the key," said the youngest of the family legend, who will have the same machine as his brother this year.
Last year's top three put both Marquezs at the top of their winning estimates.All cheaters, none of them won, but Mark assures him that he will be very happy if his name is Alex."All good Cervera," they both said with a smile. The Italian thought, "I like to keep my feet on the ground.""The first goal is to start stronger than last year, where we didn't get the results we wanted. If everything goes as we want, we hope to change our goals in the near future and fight for the title," said Aprilia main.
No one in the paddock agreed with the weakness of the 93, however he emphasized the changes he made to his bike for the weekend in Buriram."One of my abilities is balance, so I will try to use that," he said after explaining that he will ride with the air from the last two seasons, which will allow him to turn the bike again without putting stress on his body.As if the hand doubt wasn't enough, gastroenteritis has plagued his fitness and toning program for the past week.
Márquez tiene en el horizonte varios récords del campeonato. Aspira a su octavo título en la categoría reina, una corona que le igualaría al italiano Giacomo Agostini en la cima de MotoGP. Sería también su décimo título mundialista, una cifra que le situaría por encima de otros iconos como Valentino Rossi, Mike Hailwood y Carlo Ubbiali. Este mismo fin de semana, una victoria en el gran premio inaugural del curso le daría su triunfo número 100 en el certamen, una cifra que antes solo alcanzaron Agostini y Rossi. Cuando le preguntaron sobre estos hitos, él dijo sentirse plenamente satisfecho con lo logrado hasta el momento: “Yo ya me he superado a mí mismo”.
Your subscription is being used on another device
Do you want to add another user to your subscription?
If you continue reading on this device it will not be read on other devices.
Arrow Your membership has been used on another device and you can only access EL PAÍS on one device at a time.
If you want to share your account, switch your subscription to Premium mode, to add another user.Everyone will log in with their email account, allowing you to customize your EL PAÍS experience.
Do you have a business subscription?To register more accounts, visit here.
If you do not know who is using your account, we recommend changing your password here.
If you choose to continue sharing your account, this message will appear on your device and on the device of anyone else who uses your account indefinitely, affecting your browsing experience.You can view the digital subscription terms and conditions here.
