MARC MARQUEZ REPORTEDLY FEARS A RETURN OF DOUBLE VISION IN INDONESIA

Marc Marquez heads to the Indonesian Grand Prix carrying a troubling record at Mandalika and concerns about the injuries that have followed him there. Since the race returned to the MotoGP calendar in 2022, he has yet to finish a Sunday grand prix.

His first visit ended before the race: a heavy warm-up highside forced him to withdraw. The crash also brought back the double vision he has experienced since his junior career. Marquez initially considered retiring, but later underwent further surgery and continued his comeback. He also failed to finish in 2023 and 2024. Last year, a collision with Marco Bezzecchi left him with a fractured shoulder and ruled him out of the final four rounds.

That injury continues to affect him. The 2025 crash caused nerve damage in his right arm, which he reportedly kept from Ducati, and surgery has not fully resolved the problem. At Motegi, he skipped a go-kart event before the grand prix to ice the arm. After winning the race, he even changed arms when lifting his girlfriend during the celebrations.

The shoulder is one concern for this weekend, but paddock reports suggest Marquez is also anxious that his double vision could return. Journalist Cosimo Curatola said on Andrea Dovizioso’s YouTube channel that a Spanish reporter close to Marquez had told him the rider was “very worried about his double vision.” Curatola added: “Marc certainly isn’t arriving in a relaxed frame of mind.”

Marquez’s history at the circuit adds to the unease. As Curatola put it, he has “nothing but bad memories” there, including last year’s crash. Dovizioso agreed that Marquez would not feel relaxed, while stressing that the 2025 incident was not his fault. He recalled that Marquez was trying to recover ground after Ducati riders struggled on Friday and Saturday morning, and was beginning to find his rhythm when he crashed on the first lap of the Sprint.

Dovizioso said Marquez might have been in contention for a podium, but felt the Ducati was not performing well. The combination of an unfinished record at Mandalika, lingering arm problems and memories of the vision issue makes the Indonesian round a particularly difficult return for the reigning Ducati rider.