- Marc Marquez sits only fifth in the championship after six races and has yet to reach a Grand Prix podium in 2026
- Marco Bezzecchi leads the championship on the Aprilia, while Jorge Martin pursues a long-term title strategy
- The Pirelli tire switch from 2027, combined with 850 cc engines, is set to fundamentally reshape the competitive order
Marc Marquez claimed his seventh MotoGP world title in 2025, five years after a severe arm injury nearly ended his career. In doing so, he matched Valentino Rossi’s tally of titles and now sits just one championship behind Giacomo Agostini’s all-time record of eight. Yet the start to the new season has been anything but smooth for the Ducati factory rider.
Marquez and Ducati Without Direction
After three race weekends in Thailand, Brazil, and the United States, Marquez is without a single podium finish in a Grand Prix. While he managed a sprint win and another sprint podium, in the main races the Ducati was regularly found behind the Aprilia competition. At Austin, traditionally one of his strongest circuits, the Spaniard could not get past fifth place. In qualifying, he only made the second row, which would be unusual for a Marquez at full strength. In the sprint, a crash and collision with Fabio Di Giannantonio resulted in a penalty.
The causes of the difficulties lie on both sides, according to expert analysis, with both the rider and the motorcycle. Ramon Forcada, who won three MotoGP titles as crew chief with Jorge Lorenzo and continues to follow the paddock as a keen observer, analyzed the situation on the podcast “Dura la Vita” in clear terms. “We haven’t really seen Marc in his element this year,” Forcada explained. “We haven’t seen the real Marc Marquez on the 2026 motorcycle. For me, it’s a problem related to the injury, which you can also see in his body language.”
Marquez continues to suffer from the effects of a shoulder injury sustained in Indonesia during the previous season. At the Brazilian GP, the Ducati rider described his own situation as “critical.” His former rival Andrea Dovizioso also expressed concern, saying that the physical situation of Marquez was more serious than it appeared from the outside.
Forcada took his analysis a step further, describing an interaction between the struggling champion and his manufacturer. When the champion is not one hundred percent fit, the manufacturer also loses its direction, according to the technical expert. There is no clear reference point for development. Riders who had previously felt comfortable, such as Marquez or Fermin Aldeguer, are struggling to find their way. Francesco Bagnaia and Franco Morbidelli seem far from their optimum. The only rider who appears to be truly comfortable in the current Ducati environment is Di Giannantonio.
Melandri: Retirement After the Eighth Title Possible
Beyond the pure performance discussion, Marco Melandri caused a stir with an assessment of the long-term future of Marquez. The five-time MotoGP race winner stated at the Brazilian GP that he considered it possible that Marquez could end his career if he wins another title in 2026.
“He remains the most well-rounded rider overall, even if he is perhaps less explosive than last year,” said Melandri. “More than the injury, in my opinion the mental effort of winning the title back has taken its toll, because in 2025 he gave more than 110 percent.”
Melandri still sees Marquez as a title contender but also warned of Marco Bezzecchi as a serious challenger. Should Marquez win the title, he could decide to retire at the end of the season. “That’s how I see it. It wouldn’t surprise me if he stopped after his tenth Grand Prix title,” Melandri added, referring to the total of all championship titles won by Marquez across all classes.
Marquez’s current contract with Ducati expires at the end of the season. An extension is understood to be planned in principle but has been delayed by the health situation. Additionally, contract negotiations are generally on hold because the manufacturers are negotiating a new commercial agreement with the championship.
Aprilia Sets the Benchmark
While Ducati searches for answers, Aprilia has moved to the front of MotoGP. Marco Bezzecchi leads the overall standings after three perfect race weekends, and his teammate Jorge Martin has established himself as a consistent points scorer, finishing second in Austin.
Forcada expressed admiration for the work of the racing department from Noale. The manufacturers had given too much power to the riders, he said, whereas at Aprilia everything revolves around Massimo Rivola. It is one of the few teams with a clear structure. Moreover, Aprilia had the courage to take its own technical path rather than copying Ducati. “Now they are the benchmark. The Aprilia is now the bike to copy,” said Forcada.
Martin himself is pursuing a notably measured strategy. After his second place in Austin, the Spaniard explained that he had deliberately lowered his expectations. “Get yourself two or three quiet races, keep collecting points. Fifth, eighth, whatever comes out at the end, it’ll be fine,” Martin told DAZN.
The 2024 world champion thinks long-term and remembers well how he snatched the title from Bagnaia in the closing stages of that season. “The end of the season is normally my time, but I don’t want to rush anything,” Martin explained. At the same time, he expects Ducati to return to their usual strength. “In Jerez, everything will be back to normal, Ducati will be back to normal,” he said looking ahead to the upcoming Spanish GP. Martin is well aware that Marquez will likely be fighting for wins again then, but that is precisely what his patience strategy seems designed for.
Quartararo and Yamaha: Frustration Across the Board
At the other end of the performance spectrum sits Yamaha. Fabio Quartararo left the US GP without a single championship point. In the sprint, he lost nearly 14 seconds to the winner and finished eleventh; over the Grand Prix distance, the gap doubled, and he ended up seventeenth. All four Yamahas occupied the last four positions, with Quartararo only the third-best Yamaha rider. Rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu, who scored his first MotoGP point in Austin, and his Pramac teammate Jack Miller both finished ahead of the 2021 world champion.
The main cause was qualifying performance. Quartararo missed the cut for Q2 and started only sixteenth on the grid. With the slowest motorcycle in the field, there was simply nothing more to be had on the demanding circuit.
In an interview with the French broadcaster Canal+, Quartararo made his frustration clear and called for a rethink at Yamaha. While they had been half a second faster in qualifying than the previous year, the competition had gained a full second in the same period. “We need to stop comparing lap times so much,” Quartararo said, referring to the team’s internal comparisons.
Particularly noteworthy was his outlook on the European opener at Jerez. There, Quartararo had started from pole position in 2025 and finished second. For 2026, the Frenchman expects significantly slower times with the new V4 Yamaha at this reference circuit compared to last year. That will be good for the engineers, was his sober assessment. In other words, Quartararo hopes that another setback at a traditional Yamaha stronghold will finally build enough pressure to mobilize even more development resources for the project.
Pirelli Switch 2027: Everything Will Change
While the current season is still being run on Michelin tires, the future is already casting its shadow. From 2027, MotoGP will switch to Pirelli as its sole tire supplier. In addition, smaller 850 cc engines will be introduced, powered by fuel produced entirely without petroleum refining, ride-height devices will be banned, and aerodynamics will be restricted.
Sylvain Guintoli, former Grand Prix rider and Superbike world champion, who was involved in developing the current Michelin MotoGP tires and also brings Pirelli experience through his work with the BMW SBK test team, expects a fundamental shift in the competitive order.
“Tires make a huge difference. They are literally the contact point with the track,” Guintoli explained in conversation with Crash.net. “Everything will be different because tire brands all have very different characteristics. They flex in different ways, offer different grip, at different lean angles, give different feedback and have different durability.”
Pirelli had its MotoGP debut in September 2025 at a private group test with 1000 cc machines at Misano. Since then, both KTM and Honda have confirmed track tests with 850 cc prototypes. Guintoli expects that the final MotoGP specification from Pirelli will be an evolution of the existing WorldSBK tires. How much DNA of the current Pirellis will be in the new tires remains to be seen, but probably quite a lot.
“Whoever figures it out first will have a big advantage, because tires make such a massive difference,” Guintoli summarized.
Guintoli will run the London Marathon in racing leathers on April 26, in memory of his son Luca, in aid of the children’s cancer charity PASIC.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Why has Marc Marquez not reached a Grand Prix podium in 2026?
Marquez is still suffering from a shoulder injury sustained during the 2025 season in Indonesia. Experts like Ramon Forcada and Andrea Dovizioso point to both physical limitations and an interaction with Ducati’s development direction as causes for the lack of top results.
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Who leads the 2026 MotoGP championship?
After three race weekends, Marco Bezzecchi on the Aprilia leads the overall standings. His teammate Jorge Martin is also in the leading group, while Marquez sits fifth in the championship.
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When does MotoGP switch to Pirelli tires?
The switch from Michelin to Pirelli as sole tire supplier takes place for the 2027 season. At the same time, 850 cc engines will be introduced, ride-height devices banned, and aerodynamics restricted.
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How is Yamaha performing in the 2026 MotoGP season?
Yamaha is in a deep crisis. All four Yamahas finished in the last four positions at the US GP, with Fabio Quartararo finishing only 17th in the race. Despite switching to a V4 engine, the gap to the competition has grown because other manufacturers have made greater gains.
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Could Marc Marquez retire after the 2026 season?
Marco Melandri considers it possible that Marquez could end his career if he wins another title. His contract with Ducati expires at the end of 2026, and an extension has been delayed partly due to ongoing negotiations over a new commercial agreement in MotoGP.
