MotoGP: Marc Marquez 'not in good shape' after Grand Prix United States, says Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi ahead of four-week break
Updated 31/03/2026 at 10:00 GMT+1
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It was another difficult weekend for Marc Marquez and Ducati at the Grand Prix United States. The 2025 champion is still struggling with a shoulder injury that cut short his season last year, and will be looking to make progress in his recovery in the gap between now and the next race in Spain on April 25-26. Marquez admitted he does not "feel well on the bike".
Highlights: Bezzecchi triumphs at Grand Prix United States as Marquez struggles after penalty
Video credit: TNT Sports
Marc Marquez is "not in good shape" despite finishing fifth at the Grand Prix United States, according to Ducati manager Davide Tardozzi.
The Spaniard is still struggling with a shoulder injury sustained in Indonesia last year, which saw his title-winning campaign come to a premature end.
Tardozzi told Sky Italia that Marquez is still on the road to recovery: ”If you ask me for a percentage, I can’t say, but I’m sure he’s not in good shape.
”Unfortunately, what happened in Indonesia is still having consequences. He’s not back to normal yet.”
Ducati found themselves off the pace in Austin, with Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin leading the way.
Marquez served a long lap penalty for a collision in the Sprint, but showed some promise when free from traffic during the race.
”When he passed Raul Fernandez and caught up to Pecco [Bagnaia] and [Enea] Bastianini, he gained eight-tenths in five-six laps. This means that when he’s in healthy shape, he’s capable of staying up front,” Tardozzi said.
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Tardozzi admitted, though, that Ducati have work to do in order to compete with Aprilia.
”Aprilia has improved tremendously. Looking at the data between last year and this year, they’ve gained seven or eight tenths,” he added.
”We’ve gained one or two [tenths]. It’s an impressive increase. They have strong riders, like us, but we need to hurry up.
”We expect something from the engineers. We need to work on it and hope to bring something to the table as early as Jerez.
”There are still 19 races left; nothing is lost, even if it seems like we’re playing catch-up right now.
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”Aprilia has made a huge leap - hats off to them. But we have a chance to get back into the championship.”
Marquez, meanwhile, is fifth in the riders' standings on 45 points, 36 behind current leader Bezzecchi.
The 33-year-old assessed his performance in the aftermath of the Grand Prix United States.
”I'm missing; myself is missing, not the bike,” he said. ”In the first laps, when the tyres are new, the bike becomes more aggressive and I can’t ride at the moment.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
”I was fast in the beginning and then in the end I felt better and better, like normal. Now we have three weeks to try to improve the first laps.”
There is now a gap of almost a month until the next race in Jerez, following the postponement of Grand Prix Qatar.
And Marquez is aiming to return to full fitness and further adjust to his bike between now and the next round on April 25-26.
”Jerez will be a different kind of track, but in the end, when you are fast, you are fast everywhere. There, we will try to do a step, especially I want to make a step [forward] - myself more than the bike," he said.
”I need to understand well how to improve the first laps. I don't feel well on the bike. It looks like I get used to a position on the bike, not a natural position, and then I'm just riding. I'm still fast, but I cannot make the difference.”
Stream every race of the 2026 MotoGP season live on TNT Sports and HBO Max
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