HODGSON SAYS MARQUEZ’S PRE-RACE PRESS-UPS REVEAL HIS SHOULDER STRUGGLE

Marc Marquez’s pursuit of a second consecutive MotoGP title looks markedly different from last year’s campaign, according to former racer and pundit Neil Hodgson. With Jorge Martin pushing him in a close 2026 championship battle, Marquez appears to be managing the lasting effects of years of injuries, particularly the right shoulder that has troubled him since his crash at Jerez in 2020.

Speaking on the Gas It Out podcast ahead of the Indonesian Grand Prix, Hodgson described an unusual sight before the Motegi Sprint: Marquez doing press-ups on the starting grid. “Never in my life of being in this paddock – racing or working on television – have I seen a rider doing some press-ups or push-ups or whatever before the start of a race,” he said. Hodgson believes Marquez was trying to activate his shoulder, noting that the Spaniard is continually moving and working on it before getting on the bike.

The repeated shoulder exercises are part of what Hodgson sees as a broader picture of a rider under considerable physical strain. He said Marquez looks serious and focused in a way he had not witnessed before, including after winning the Motegi Sprint. “Even on the sprint podium, there’s hardly any celebration because the job’s not done yet,” Hodgson observed. Marquez’s apparent response to the victory, he added, was essentially: “Yeah, I’ve just won the sprint… so what?”

Hodgson suggested that Marquez is conserving energy while operating close to his physical limit. The seven-time premier-class champion’s shoulder struggles and subdued demeanour have become striking features of a title campaign in which, unlike last season, the championship fight remains unresolved.