Marc Marquez between renewal and farewell: "It takes a touch of madness

The debate about Marc Marquez’s future resurfaced at the start of the 2026 MotoGP season, with the Ducati rider first dealing with post-Mandalika rehab and then the crash in Austin. Gigi Dall’Igna assures he will be back to one hundred percent for the Jerez weekend, and there’s anticipation to see him in action again on a European track.

The start of the Championship hasn’t gone in the right direction for the reigning MotoGP champion. After three Grands Prix he hasn’t taken any podiums in the long races, only a Sprint win in Brazil. The four-week break should be a godsend for Marc Marquez, who alternates on-track and gym training sessions with therapy for his right arm and shoulder. It’s not the first time he’s had to deal with an injury—far from it. After the 2020 crash he more than once considered retiring, but he never gave up; he underwent several surgeries, changed bikes to rediscover himself and the path to victory.

In an interview on the podcasts “Imagin” and “Tengo un Plan,” he recalled his move from HRC to Gresini, a bold decision that, with hindsight, proved to be a valuable investment. “The day I was most nervous was when I tested the Ducati for the first time in Valencia,” Marc recalled. In the 2024 MotoGP season he took three GP victories and one Sprint win with Ducati, along with 16 other podiums. He finished his first year on the Desmosedici in third overall, earning a place in the factory team and then winning the world title in 2025. “I didn’t decide with my heart, but with my head,” explained #93.

The ambition remains high, but he knows he has already written something legendary in Grand Prix motorcycle racing history. “Personally, I feel I’ve closed the circle in my racing career. Whatever comes next is welcome. The ambition remains the same, as does the will to win. But I didn’t want my career to end like that after the 2020 injury. (Honda) hasn’t won since then, but I’ve started winning again. I did it, and now I’m at peace with myself.”

Marc Marquez has so far won 99 GPs in his long career, 73 of them in MotoGP. Nine world titles, seven in the premier class. In 2026, MM93 will contest his 19th season, his 14th in MotoGP. Officially he hasn’t made any decision for next year yet, although everything suggests he will continue with Ducati, on a two-year or 1+1 contract. He certainly has no intention of throwing in the towel, even if his physical condition isn’t what it once was.

After all, to be a MotoGP rider you need a touch of madness… “Talent alone isn’t enough. It’s a blend of different factors, but you have to have courage. Sometimes I hear people say: ‘These riders are crazy.’ It’s not the craziest who wins, but the one who knows how to make the most of his madness,” concluded the Ducati rider. “You need a touch of madness, otherwise you don’t ride at 350 km/h, 360 km/h on a bike, you don’t overtake, and you don’t clash with another rider at 200 km/h when you’re fighting side by side. You need that touch of madness.”