Marc Marquez: "Ducati has found the problem. Future? I can't tell you

Marc Marquez arrives at the Japanese Grand Prix with memories of last year, when it was right at Motegi that he clinched his first MotoGP title with Ducati. This time the tune is different, and he heads East as the chaser, twelve points behind Aprilia’s leader Jorge Martin. In the meantime, the Cervera phenomenon is also thinking about his life after racing...

In the 2025 MotoGP season he arrived in Japan with a huge lead over his pursuers. This year he has had to deal with a few technical niggles on his Ducati GP26 and several physical woes, particularly in his arm, worsened after the Mandalika crash. "But the most important thing is that this year too we’re in the fight for the title and we’ll try to give it our all".

In the last race in Austria he encountered a brake issue that cost him precious points in the standings. Everything seems to be sorted in the Red garage: "The most important thing is that they found what happened during the race, because it was something visible in the data. They found the problem and we’ll try to fix it for the race, because it’s another very important one".

Seven races to go in the Championship, seven weekends in which he won’t be able to play defense. Aprilia are serious, and on the Asian tour anything can happen, with the weather sure to throw up a few twists. Marc Marquez has already clawed back 102 points in the standings in the time span from Mugello to Misano. At the Red Bull Ring he finished fifth, allowing Jorge Martin to reclaim the solo lead. But the battle has only just begun.

His physical condition isn’t yet excellent, but the nine-time world champion is used to gritting his teeth. And he thanks his medical team, which has followed him daily from 2020 to today. "They truly work miracles. To me, doctors work behind the scenes, and the best even more so. The best are those who rarely seek media attention, those who are there day after day saving lives, and I, fortunately or unfortunately, have had to live and work very closely with doctors. It’s a love-hate relationship I have with them", he said in an interview with ‘AS’.

Despite the physical brakes, Marquez is a superstar who keeps twisting the throttle, searching for the limit, staying up there at the top to lay his hands on another MotoGP title. Passion and competition are his watchwords, the essential ingredients of his lifestyle and his work. "People have an idealized image of me, that of the invincible rider, the one who crashes and gets back up without consequences. I’ve had incredible years and also very difficult ones... and all those years are part of who I am today".

Today Marc is 33 and has a contract with Ducati through the end of 2028. It could be his last commitment as a MotoGP rider, especially if he manages to reach ten world titles. How does he envision his future? "Well, I can’t say what it will be like. Obviously, you have to find something to keep you busy. But it’s also true that right after the end of a competitive career you need a long break to find calm and understand what you really want to do in your private life", concluded the Spaniard. "I’d like to remain involved in the racing world. In what way or to what extent? I can’t tell you right now."

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