HODGSON SEES MARQUEZ’S QATAR STRUGGLE AS POSSIBLE RETIREMENT CLUE

Marc Marquez’s future in MotoGP is back under scrutiny after his appearance in parc fermé following the Qatar Grand Prix. Former rider and pundit Neil Hodgson said the Spaniard looked so physically spent that the scene added to his concerns Marquez could retire at the end of 2026, despite being contracted to Ducati through 2028.

Marquez has endured an injury-disrupted season. He began the campaign with lingering problems in his right shoulder and later broke his foot in France, requiring surgery before he returned to form. The 33-year-old has also undergone seven operations on his right arm and shoulder since 2019 and, according to the report, is still not riding at full fitness. After Qatar, he said his heart rate had reached 190 beats per minute — a level he had not experienced in a decade.

“I felt like it put another log on the fire of Marc Marquez retiring watching him in parc fermé,” Hodgson said on Gas It Out. “I mean, it was almost hard to watch,” he added, pointing to Marquez’s account of reaching his highest heart rate in ten years. Hodgson described the effort as racing with “one arm that’s 80%, the other arm that’s 100%.”

Ducati announced in June that Marquez had signed a new deal covering two further seasons, committing him to lead the team into MotoGP’s 850cc era. But Hodgson believes the new-generation bike could be decisive. The 2027 rules bring 850cc engines, tighter aerodynamic restrictions, a switch to Pirelli tyres and a ban on ride-height devices. The changes are expected to make the bikes easier to handle, though Marquez has so far sampled Ducati’s 850cc machine only twice, during tyre tests in Czechia and Austria.

He is due to ride it again at the Valencia post-season test later this month. If he finds the bike less physically demanding and likes its feel, Hodgson suggested, that could persuade him to continue. “If they are a lot less physical to ride and he likes the feeling of it, then that might work in his favour and encourage him to do another two years,” he said.

Hodgson also raised the prospect of Marquez weighing himself against younger riders, including Pedro Acosta, who is set to join Ducati in 2027. Marquez enjoys a challenge, Hodgson said, but wants a fair one. If he feels unable to compete because of his arm, he may decide his achievements are enough: “I think I’m good. I think my 10 world titles will be enough.”

Ducati would face a difficult reshuffle if Marquez walked away before the end of his contract. Acosta is due to replace Francesco Bagnaia, who is moving to Aprilia, leaving the team with little obvious room to absorb another change. Fermin Aldeguer or VR46 rider Nicolo Bulega could be options, but either move would create a vacancy at VR46. Ducati will be keen to learn Marquez’s intentions before the 2027 pre-season tests begin in January and February.