Carlos Checa rewrites Marc Marquez’s 2026 fate after Austin shake-up

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Carlos Checa explains how his outlook on Marc Marquez in 2026 has shifted

During a conversation with Sport, Carlos Checa gave his take on Ducati’s recent struggles and weighed in on Marquez’s chances of holding onto his title.

Checa noted that Marquez didn’t look like himself during the weekend at the United States Grand Prix, and after being asked about the Spaniard’s title hopes for 2026, he expanded further on that point.

He said: “Before starting the world championship, I would have been surprised if he didn’t win it; now, maybe I’m surprised if he wins it. For me, the turning point was the United States.

“Austin is his circuit, and I understand that Friday’s fall marked him a lot, I don’t know if that even limited him physically, but for me there was the crucial moment to know where Marc was.

“The fact of seeing it with so much difficulty, and suffering so much in that race, makes me understand that there is a job to do there to recover the Marc and the level he had before.”

Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images

Carlos Checa backs Pol Espargaro’s take on Marc Marquez’s competitive standing

KTM test rider Pol Espargaro recently pointed to the Spanish Grand Prix as a key race that could reveal where Marquez truly stands in the MotoGP hierarchy. Carlos Checa echoed that sentiment, agreeing that it will be a telling weekend for the reigning champion.

Speaking to the Spanish press, Checa expanded on his view: “We’ll see a little in Jerez, now it’s been three or four weeks, I think it’s enough time for him to be able to work on himself, on his shoulder, and see what level he is at.