Neil Hodgson warns one slip at Jerez could end Marc Marquez’s 2026 title hopes for good

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Ducati eyeing redemption after Aprilia dominance in early season

Aprilia are braced for Ducati to bounce back, aware of the old adage that the championship really starts when it gets to Europe. But Bezzecchi almost has an entire race weekend in his pocket against Marquez, with only 37 points available across a Sprint and a Grand Prix.

It should be said that Francesco Bagnaia, Marquez’s Ducati teammate, overturned a much larger 91-point deficit against Fabio Quartararo in just eight rounds during the 2022 season. That is the greatest comeback of the modern era.

Pressure’s building on Marc Marquez as MotoGP heads to Spain, says Neil Hodgson

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It was at the United States GP last year when Marquez first handed over the championship lead, falling out front to gift the top spot to his brother Alex. Then at Jerez, another crash cost him a shot at victory.

He managed to salvage 12th place from that race and stayed upright until the Misano Sprint later in the year. But Hodgson pointed out that with the points gap already in place this season, another slip could do real damage to his chances.

This year’s first significant misstep came during the USA Sprint when Marquez collided with VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio, not only ruining his Saturday but also landing him a penalty for Sunday’s main event.

Hodgson doesn’t expect Marquez to break Aprilia’s five-race winning run at Jerez either, especially since it’s a circuit that should play right into their strengths.

“Marc’s 36 points behind,” he told TNT Sports. “He can’t afford a mistake. We saw him make quite a few mistakes early on last year. So far, he actually hasn’t made a mistake.”

“The pressure’s on him at Jerez,” he continued. “But think of Jerez as a layout – long, hanging corners, you need a bike that turns well. The Aprilia is now fast; it’s good on the brakes…”

Marc Marquez may need to push harder soon

On the Oxley Bom podcast, Mat Oxley noted that Marquez looked hesitant in Austin, even though he did well to climb back to fifth after serving his penalty.

“After the long lap, when he was coming through, when he got up behind Bagnaia, I’ve never seen him so cautious in all my life,” he said. “That was when Bagnaia fell off a cliff and was going visibly slower, and he still wouldn’t go past him!”

Marquez may be taking it easy while he continues to recover from his shoulder injury or waits for Ducati’s updates to make an impact.

That approach can work for a while, but if Bezzecchi and Aprilia continue to build their lead, Marquez might have no choice but to take more risks. He’ll also be hoping that Jorge Martin’s recent form leads to the pair splitting points more often, which could help keep Bezzecchi within reach.

Read more:

• Ducati drama: Could Marc Marquez split with the team after just a year?
• Pit-lane plot twist: Nicolo Bulega linked with Trackhouse in pre-2027 MotoGP shake-up
• VR46 boss backs Marc Marquez to outrun Marco Bezzecchi for the 2026 crown