Marc Marquez to make MotoGP return in 2026
The end of the 2025 MotoGP season just got a whole lot harder for Ducati, as Marc Marquez has been ruled out until 2026.
Seven-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez will miss the rest of the 2025 season, after undergoing further medical checks in Madrid, Spain.
The Borgo Panigale brand confirmed the news we expected during a press release, but it’s no less a disappointing end to what has been a stellar first season for Marquez in Ducati red.
Marquez suffered a fractured right collarbone injury after being wiped out by Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi during the Indonesian Grand Prix, at the Mandalika circuit.
After initially being ruled out of the Australian and Malaysian Grand Prix’ - two races he would have been a hot favourite to win - Marquez will now miss the Portuguese round at Portimao, the season-finale in Valencia, and the one-day post-season test at the same circuit.
In his first season as a factory Ducati rider, Marquez matched long-time foe Valentino Rossi with seven MotoGP titles and nine world championships in total (includes Moto3 and Moto2).
He also went on to claim a staggering 11 Grand Prix wins and 14 sprints, taking his victory total to 25. Despite missing the rest of the season, Marquez will start the 2026 season as the favourite to make it back-to-back titles for the Lenovo Ducati team.
Speaking about the disappointing news that he won’t finish the season, Marquez said:
"Analysing the entire situation, we believe that the most appropriate, clever and consistent course of action is to respect the biological timing of the injury, even if that means I will no longer be able to race this season or attend the testing session. We know that a difficult winter awaits us, with a lot of work, to recover my muscles to 100% and be ready for 2026. This must not overshadow or make us forget the great goal we achieved this year: becoming World Champions again, and soon we will all celebrate it together. Thank you to all the fans for the kind messages, to Ducati and all the sponsors for their support and understanding".
Ducati says it will confirm a replacement for Marquez in the coming weeks. One name to watch will be World Superbike rider Nicolo Bulega, who has been rumoured as a potential stand-in for the current MotoGP champion.
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
