MotoGP Rivals Refuse to Rule Marc Marquez Out of Title Fight

Marc Marquez is still being viewed as a serious threat in the 2026 MotoGP title battle despite currently sidelined by shoulder and foot injuries.

Current championship leaders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin both insisted the nine-time world champion can never truly be discounted from the fight for the MotoGP crown.

Marquez endured a disastrous weekend at Le Mans after suffering a fractured foot during a violent Sprint Race highside crash. The Ducati Lenovo Team rider also underwent additional surgery to resolve a radial nerve issue in his right shoulder.

Read AlsoDi Giannantonio Responds to Pedro Acosta Le Mans Clash

The injuries have ruled Marquez out of this weekend’s Catalan MotoGP and could leave him trailing Bezzecchi by as many as 108 points in the standings if his rivals continue scoring heavily.

Despite the growing deficit, Bezzecchi pointed to Marquez’s dominance last season as proof that the Spaniard remains dangerous under any circumstances.

Marquez famously secured the 2025 MotoGP world championship in Japan with a massive 201-point advantage before missing the final five rounds of the season following injuries sustained at Mandalika. Even after the lengthy absence, he still finished the year 78 points ahead of Alex Marquez.

“Marc won the championship last year in Japan, five races before the end of the season. Personally, I never rule Marc out of the title fight,” Bezzecchi explained.

The Aprilia rider also believes Marquez will return with enormous motivation once he fully recovers from his injuries.

“The season is still very long and when Marc comes back, he will definitely be extremely hungry to win. I’m sure he will still be fighting,” Bezzecchi added.

Martin, who currently trails Bezzecchi by just one point in the standings, expressed a very similar opinion regarding Marquez’s championship prospects.

“For me, if there is one rider who has already proven he can come back from the lowest point to the highest level again, it is Marc. So we cannot discount him,” Martin said.

Meanwhile, Alex Marquez believes it is still too early to seriously discuss his brother’s title chances because there remains no clear timeline for Marc’s return.

“First of all, we need to see when he comes back. One race, two races, three races, or four races — nobody knows. Right now, he is probably only thinking about recovering,” Alex explained.

Ducati itself also remains unable to confirm whether Marquez will be physically fit to compete at the Mugello MotoGP later this month.