What caused Marc Marquez’s puncture at the 2026 Thai MotoGP?

Wheel rim damage was the cause of Marc Marquez’s puncture at the Thai MotoGP round.

Marquez was running fourth on lap 21 when he ran wide at turn four, running over the kerb on the exit. When the factory Ducati rider dropped off the outside of the kerb it was immediately clear he had a puncture, and TV images also showed wheel rim damage.

Davide Tardozzi spoke after the race to UK MotoGP broadcaster TNT Sports and confirmed that Marquez’s rim had broken due to contact with the kerb, and that had caused the puncture that forced Marquez’s retirement.

“Unfortunately, he went to the kerb at turn four and he broke the rim,” Tardozzi said.

“That’s why he lost air and he was forced to stop. He hit the edge of the [kerb] and broke the wheel.”

He added: “I don’t remember ever seeing something like that. We can say that it’s a mistake, but he’s been really unlucky because many riders went out in turn four and nobody had this problem. But, anyway, it’s like this.”

Marquez himself also spoke to TNT Sports after the race, adding that he was unlucky to receive race-ending damage from running off the edge of the kerb.

“I think that just the kerb was the reason, but it’s true that many riders – even in the test – jumped that kerb and nothing happened,” Marquez explained.

“But today just I had a small moment in turn four, on that corner, and I decided to go wide and come back. 

“I said ‘Okay, I just want to save a risky moment’. But just when I jumped the kerb the rear tyre exploded. 

“Very strange, very unlucky I would say because I was doing a race [that was] super-calm, you saw that I was managing well. But it’s like this. We need to think about the next race.”

Marquez clarified that he doesn’t blame Michelin for the puncture.

“It’s not a problem of Michelin and it’s not a problem of the track,” he said. “It’s just those double [Misano 200] kerbs are good for some reasons but today we see something unusual.

“But it happened, the thing is that it’s super-strange because even the rim was completely damaged, [it] even exploded the rim.

“I feel very lucky that there was not a massive high-side.”

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