– Marc Marquez’s physical condition continues to cause discussion in the MotoGP paddock. After his shoulder injury during the sprint of the Indonesian Grand Prix, where he crashed following a collision with Marco Bezzecchi, the Spaniard has not yet returned to full strength.
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Although Marquez himself and his team are optimistic, not everyone shares this assessment. A particularly critical judgment now comes from Andrea Dovizioso.
The three-time MotoGP runner-up (2017 to 2019) and long-time rival of Marquez knows the Spaniard well. During their time together, both fought numerous intense duels, especially during Marquez’s dominant Honda era.
Dovizioso suspects a worse situation
Dovizioso continues to follow the action closely and is regularly present in the paddock as a development driver for Yamaha. In an interview with the Italian site Moto.it, he spoke clearly about the situation of his former opponent: “In my opinion, Marc’s situation is much more serious than it seems.”
The Italian emphasizes that Marquez has never publicly dramatized his problems: “Marc is not a rider who complains, and he has never looked for excuses.”
That is exactly why his actual condition is often underestimated. “The truth about how he really is and how many problems he has was never taken particularly seriously – especially by those who do not support him,” Dovi believes.
Marquez not fully fit even in 2025?
His conclusion is correspondingly clear: “In my opinion, his situation is much more serious than it seems.” Looking back, Dovizioso even believes that Marquez was not fully fit last season, despite winning the title.
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“Last year he managed to win the championship. I couldn’t tell you exactly at what percentage level, but without a doubt, he was not at 100 percent.”
Photo gallery: The ordeal of MotoGP star Marc Marquez
In this regard, the Italian still sees a great need for improvement: “He still has a lot to improve physically.” Furthermore, he suspects that the crash in Indonesia further exacerbated the limitation in his arm, “which I believe has no solution.”
In search of his new 100 percent
As final confirmation of his assessment, Dovizioso cites the race weekend in Austin, one of Marquez’s previous stronghold tracks. “In a place where he could have made the difference, he couldn’t,” he summarizes.
With this, the Italian paints a much gloomier picture than many other observers and questions whether Marquez can return to his former strength in the foreseeable future.
The reigning MotoGP World Champion himself had recently emphasized several times that it is currently primarily about understanding “what my new one hundred percent will look like physically.” A clear sign that his recovery is progressing but is not yet complete, and questions remain.
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While the Aprilia riders, led by Marco Bezzecchi, dominate the early phase of the season and are at the top of the overall standings, Marquez is currently only in fifth place with a 36-point deficit. Whether he can intervene in the title fight again in this condition remains to be seen.
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