TARDOZZI SAYS MARQUEZ IS OVERCOMING PHYSICAL LIMITS THROUGH FOCUS

Marc Marquez is compensating for lingering physical problems with concentration, intelligence and relentless preparation, according to Ducati Lenovo team manager Davide Tardozzi.

The Spaniard’s injuries stretch back years. A shoulder dislocation at Silverstone in 2013 was followed by surgery in 2018, after the joint had become so weak it could dislocate in crashes and even during his 2018 title celebrations in Motegi. He underwent another shoulder operation in 2019, then suffered a serious humerus fracture in 2020. Several surgeries later, that injury still affects him. A crash in Indonesia last year, caused by Marco Bezzecchi, added further shoulder damage.

A nerve issue emerged during the first part of 2026. It was resolved only after Marquez broke his foot at Le Mans, prompting him to bring forward a planned operation by a week. He returned at Mugello after missing Barcelona, but his form since then has swung between outstanding performances and worrying drops in pace.

His results have nevertheless kept him in contention. Marquez has won seven times this season, and his only podium finishes have been victories. With Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin suffering setbacks, he has a chance to secure an eighth MotoGP crown at the next round. After Malaysia, Tardozzi reflected on how dramatically the title picture had changed: Marquez had been 102 points behind Bezzecchi around mid-season, but arrived at Sepang with a 67-point advantage and three races remaining.

“That makes us proud about our engineers, about the work, and about our rider,” Tardozzi said, speaking to TNT Sports.

Marquez has also adapted his riding style, as he acknowledged after the Malaysian race. Tardozzi said the rider’s physical condition remains a concern, particularly on his right side. “His right shoulder, his right part, the arm, is not perfect, is not 100 per cent,” he said.

“He’s covering this with the brain, the focus,” Tardozzi added. He praised Marquez’s commitment away from the track, describing his daily work in the gym and on road bikes at a small circuit. “I never saw in the past a guy so focused every minute of the day towards the result.”