Ducati and Marc Marquez struggling: "It hurts a lot

Marc Marquez has returned to Mugello after skipping the races at Le Mans and Catalunya. With an Aprilia on a sharp rise, an RS-GP currently superior to the Desmosedici, the world title risks slipping away from Borgo Panigale to land in Noale, where Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin promise a great battle to the very end to seize the MotoGP crown.

There’s little Ducati can do until Marc Marquez is in peak form. Big question marks remain over the health of the nine-time world champion, fresh off a double surgery on his shoulder and foot. While the foot doesn’t affect his riding style, the right shoulder is still a limitation for the Cervera rider, especially in right-handers. "No one has told me that I’ll be back to how I was, but I’m trying," the #93 admitted after Mugello. "I don’t want to give up without trying. If I’m here, it’s because I want to extend my career."

In an interview with 'AS', team manager Davide Tardozzi spoke about his rider, who is facing a rehabilitation phase that will still be long. "Tired. Clearly, at this moment Marc still needs to recover and he’ll need a few races to be at one hundred percent. He’s happy, because he understands the problem has been solved and he just needs time to get back in shape."

In the final third of the Italian GP, his strength began to fade and Marquez was forced to ease off, dropping from the fight for 4th with Pedro Acosta to a final seventh place. In any case, the Aprilias are a step ahead and Tardozzi can’t deny it. "It hurts a lot, but hats off to Aprilia, who did a fantastic job. We have to be honest and say that this time Aprilia is the best. But I know Ducati; we will never give up, not even in this championship. We’re behind in the standings, but I promise we’ll win some races this year."

During the Mugello weekend there weren’t many boos directed at Marc Marquez. Credit also goes to the Italian manager, who in 2025 addressed the crowd in the stands shouting “It’s red.” Tardozzi concludes: "If people could get to know the man, Marc Marquez, they wouldn’t say certain things about him."

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