Marc Marquez concedes he’s not ready to take on Marco Bezzecchi at Spanish Grand Prix

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Marc Marquez has admitted he doesn’t expect to be fighting for the win at the Spanish Grand Prix, saying he’s not ready to challenge Marco Bezzecchi yet.

After a month away, MotoGP is back at Jerez. The break followed the Qatar GP being cancelled due to ongoing conflict in the Middle East and probably came at a good time for Marquez, who has been dealing with physical issues throughout 2026.

He’s still feeling the impact of his 2025 shoulder injury and hasn’t made it onto a podium this year. To make matters worse, his forearm injury from Austin is still causing problems, as seen by the scars he showed off during media day in Spain.

Ducati have traditionally done well at Jerez. Aprilia haven’t won there before this season, but Marco Bezzecchi has taken them to victory in every race so far in 2026. This could give Marquez an opening to get back on track—though he doesn’t seem all that convinced himself.

Marc Marquez backs Jorge Martin as main threat to Marco Bezzecchi at Jerez

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Marquez told Motorsport Espana that while he feels physically ready for the challenge, he doesn’t believe he’s in a position to race Bezzecchi for the win. Instead, he pointed to Jorge Martin as someone who might be better equipped to put pressure on Bezzecchi at Jerez.

“We’ve had three full weeks at home, and I think that’s been good for me to try and take another step forward. I can say that I’m at an optimal level to compete at my best,” said Marquez.

He added, “We’ll see this weekend, but physically I think I’ve reached an acceptable level so that we’re no longer talking about my physical condition, but about my performance on the track.”