The champion's take: "Márquez isn't comfortable on the Ducati"

Ten races to go until the end of the MotoGP championship, the Aragon weekend becomes an important stop in Marc Marquez’s title chase.

Fourth in the riders’ standings, 40 points behind leader Jorge Martin, with the aim of defending the world crown he won last year. Despite the physical issues he’s been carrying for some time. But some say the nine-time champion hasn’t fully adapted to the Ducati Desmosedici.

Even though he’s not leading the championship, Marc Marquez is still the favorite. What pushes him into the spotlight of the odds is his history, his talent, the ability to fight back on track as well as in the championship. The rider from Cervera has won the Aragon Grand Prix eight times, seven in MotoGP and once in Moto2. That includes four consecutive wins in the four seasons in which he then became world champion (2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019). After the lean spell of recent years with Honda, the Spaniard switched to Ducati in 2024 and immediately returned to the top step of the podium at MotorLand, taking the win that same year with Gresini (his first victory with Ducati) and again in 2025, this time with the factory team. Marquez has won more often only at the Sachsenring (13 times), his lucky-charm track.

The #93 doesn’t have to deal only with Aprilia. In a recent interview with ‘The Paper’ he spoke about his physical limitations, which continue to affect his daily life, even though his racing ambition remains unchanged. However, he has had to change some habits and give up a few indulgences. “I’d like to play more soccer, for example. My friends and I play; we’re not very good, but we pretend we are. But there’s the risk of injuries, so I don’t play as much as I’d like… I used to play a lot of padel, but now I can’t do it with my right arm anymore. I tried to learn to play with my left, but it was impossible.”

From his arm to his shoulder he has undergone seven surgeries, but despite everything he has never thrown in the towel and has kept on winning. The MotoGP superstar is constantly monitored by doctors and specialists. “I go to the physiotherapist more often than I’d like, but it’s the only way to have a normal life.”

From his debut with Gresini’s Desmosedici to today, Marc Marquez has racked up 17 Grand Prix wins, and 19 in Sprints. Chilling numbers, considering he clinched the world title in his first year with the Ducati factory team. Yet some speculate that there isn’t a perfect connection between him and the bike. Kenny Roberts, a three-time world champion, is one of the Spaniard’s most famous fans. On the ‘Pipe Dreams’ podcast he put forward this theory… “I like Marc because he’s very aggressive. He’s probably the rider I follow the most. I don’t like all the mistakes he makes, but they’re part of his aggressive character,” said the American MotoGP legend.

For Roberts, the Borgo Panigale prototype isn’t the one that best suits the nine-time world champion’s riding style. “Marquez has never really felt comfortable with the Ducati. He doesn’t look like he did with the Honda at the beginning. His riding style is different from the others, and I think he needs a bike designed for that style.”

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