BAGNAIA SAYS MARQUEZ WAS ‘PUSHED’ TO POST SHOULDER SCAR IMAGE FOR VISIBILITY

Francesco Bagnaia has weighed in on Marc Marquez’s recent decision to share a highly discussed Instagram image showing the scars and differences between his right and left shoulder and arm. Bagnaia believes the Ducati teammate’s post—aimed at his enormous social media following—was driven less by a desire to simply document his condition and more by the need for “visibility.”

Marquez, who is reported as the most-followed rider in MotoGP on social media, posted the photo to his 8.4 million followers after the Aragon Grand Prix. The image quickly went viral because it made the extent of his right-arm and shoulder history unmistakable, highlighting the contrast with his left side. The Spaniard has undergone seven operations on that shoulder and arm since 2019, with the majority linked to the serious injuries he sustained after his career-threatening crash at the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez.

Bagnaia said he would not personally share an injury update in the same way, but he argued that Marquez is “very good” at engaging with the social media side of modern sport. In comments relayed by the Italian edition of Motorsport.com, Bagnaia suggested that Marquez’s team and the people around him are likely pushing that angle. “It’s difficult to judge from the outside,” Bagnaia said, adding that Marquez’s public approach makes it hard for others to know the full truth. He then pointed to how Marquez’s race-weekend preparation and limitations coexist: “However, with several surgeries on the same arm, it’s normal that he has some limitations. The way he’s approaching race weekends is incredible.”

Bagnaia also contrasted his own media and injury approach with Marquez’s. He said he prefers to keep things private and “hide a lot of things,” using his own experience as an example. Bagnaia referenced the 2023 San Marino Grand Prix, when he raced after being run over by Brad Binder in Barcelona and his leg was “completely black and blue,” noting that the public did not know the extent of his condition at the time.

From Bagnaia’s perspective, Marquez’s current openness is tied to a different strategy: “And if you want to gain visibility now, you have to do this kind of thing. And Marc is very good at that, and the person behind him is really pushing this angle.” Bagnaia framed it as a “different approach to social media,” rather than a straightforward change in attitude toward medical transparency.

The discussion comes amid reports that Marquez has been shifting toward greater openness about his injuries. The sources state that he previously tried to keep his fitness and recovery details hidden, similar to Bagnaia’s more private stance, but has now accepted that fans want to know about his arm problems. Marquez’s stated aim is to share what he experiences day to day and the reality of what he is dealing with.

There have also been moments where Marquez’s injury communication created friction or surprise. It is reported that he tried to keep his latest shoulder surgery “a secret” from Ducati earlier this year, only informing the team after he moved the operation forward following his crash out of the Sprint Race at Le Mans. The sources also mention that Marquez was surprised Ducati shared his admission of having “no control” over his right arm in private at Silverstone.

Despite the ongoing attention, Bagnaia emphasized that he respects the performance side of Marquez’s situation, even if he questions the motives behind the viral image. He said that while it is hard to judge what is really happening, “what he’s doing is incredible,” especially given the scale of the medical history.

Marquez’s shoulder surgery timeline is described as beginning with Latarjet surgery in 2019, followed by four operations on the humerus bone after the Jerez crash in 2020. The sources add that Marquez required another shoulder operation in 2025 after a coracoid fracture, and a further procedure in 2026 to remove two screws from the 2019 surgery.

The viral photo also drew reaction from other riders. Nicolo Bulega, after seeing the image, suggested that only Marquez can perform at his level with what he described as “one and a half arms,” underscoring the perceived difficulty of competing with the limitations implied by the scarred right shoulder.