Marc Marquez gives shoulder injury update after topping MotoGP Sepang test - 'Most important thing'
Published 03/02/2026 at 14:11 GMT
The Sepang test in Malaysia saw Marc Marquez return to MotoGP for the first time since October, and the world champion revealed the condition of his shoulder following the season-ending injury that required surgery. Meanwhile, a crash for Fabio Quartararo left the former world champion with a broken finger. He confirmed he will sit out the last two days in Sepang.
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Marc Marquez gave a positive update on his shoulder injury after setting the fastest pace in the MotoGP Sepang Test ahead of the 2026 season.
Marquez was ruled out of the remainder of the 2025 season after suffering a complex shoulder fracture in a collision at the Indonesian Grand Prix in October.
He had clinched his seventh world title in the previous round in Japan.
Marquez began circuit riding again in early January but had been out of MotoGP action for 121 days by the time of the Sepang Test on Tuesday.
He admitted getting back on his Ducati bike "felt a bit strange" as he put in 53 laps and ended the day fastest on the grid by 0.256s.
"Yeah, it was a tricky day in the morning, especially to get the feedback," he said.
"I felt a bit strange, and this delayed a bit trying things, because I said to the team I needed laps for me. But in the afternoon, we started to try some aerodynamic things, because I started to feel more relaxed on the bike.
"It’s true that it’s also the first day, I was fresh, so this helps. For that reason, I pushed in the last part of the practice. Let’s see how I get up tomorrow and try and survive this test."
He added: "When you are riding these bikes, everybody is pushing. It’s true that right now it’s not the most important thing to be on top or be far.
"But the most important thing is that the shoulder is working in a good way. That was my main worry. I need laps.
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"I need to continue with my preparations for the GP, and preparation means everything: it means the technical side and the physical side."
Ducati Lenovo will hope for another successful season after winning the Teams' Championship in 2025.
Marquez suggested things are well-placed ahead of the first Grand Prix of the season in Thailand later this month, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
"We are happy, the speed is there, but we need to work on the consistency," he said.
"The most important thing, as I understood from the previous years, if I feel well physically then the speed is there.
"Today I feel like the speed was there, when you are fresh; normally in the first day you are fresher than the other days.
"But it’s true that the runs were super short, two, three laps, because I just tried to keep this shoulder fresh for the next two days."
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Quartararo withdraws from testing after crash
Fabio Quartararo will take no part in the final two days of the Sepang testing after a high-speed crash during the morning session on Tuesday.
The Yamaha rider required medical checks and suffered a broken finger, but avoided serious injury.
Quartararo confirmed he would sit out the remainder of the Sepang Test in order to be fit for the Buriram test on February 21-22.
"The arm is a bit sore, but the finger is broken," he told the official MotoGP website. "So, we’ve decided to stop for the next two days of test. I think it’s for the best.
"Of course, if it were a race weekend, I could continue. But there is no sense to continue for two more days.
"A bit sad because, of course, I want to ride, but for the first race it’s better. The arm is nothing really strange, but for my finger it’s better."
On the crash, he added: "I lost it pretty straight, don’t really know what happened. But it was a fast one and I finished far into the gravel.
"Unfortunately, not lucky today. But, like I said, it could be much worse."
Stream every race of the 2026 MotoGP season live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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