Not Yet Fully Recovered, Marc Marquez Remains Optimistic Ahead of the Italian MotoGP Grand Prix

Marc Marquez has confirmed he will compete fully in the 2026 Italian MotoGP at Mugello Circuit after completing the full sequence of practice sessions with no issues. This confirmation is positive news for Ducati Lenovo, who have been monitoring Marquez's condition following his shoulder surgery.

The Spanish rider has completed both the first free practice session and the official main practice session. These results indicate Marquez is in adequate physical condition to participate in every stage of the race Weekend right through to the main grand prix.

Even so, the seven-time world Champion has acknowledged that his recovery process is not yet fully finished. His physical state remains far from ideal, after undergoing surgery to remove internal screws from his shoulder plus rehabilitation for a left foot injury sustained during the French MotoGP sprint race.

“Honestly, this does not feel as good as I had imagined,” stated Marc Marquez, quoted by Ducati Lenovo on Saturday.

Marquez confirmed he still faces physical limitations when controlling his motorcycle, most notably when executing manoeuvres that demand peak physical condition.

However, he considers this situation to be within reasonable expectations, given his recovery period has only progressed for around two and a half weeks.

“Of course I cannot handle the bike the way I want to, but this is perfectly normal when you consider it has only been two and a half weeks since my operation,” Marc explained.

Despite not being at full fitness, Marquez's performance on the Mugello circuit is already showing encouraging signs. Across the practice sessions, the number 93 rider finished in sixth position, Running competitively alongside the championship front runners.

He finished behind Fabio Di Giannantonio, Francesco Bagnaia, Enea Bastianini, Franco Morbidelli, and Fermin Aldeguer. This result confirms Marquez still retains competitive race pace even while working through his physical recovery.

For Ducati Lenovo, Marquez's outing at Mugello is one of the biggest talking points of this weekend. Alongside his status as one of the most successful riders in MotoGP history, his presence also lifts the team's competitive Profile in front of the Italian spectators that have filled the Mugello Circuit grandstands.

Marquez also stated he is satisfied with the team's work on the opening day, and remains optimistic ahead of the remaining sessions.

“We delivered good work today and hit our targets; we will just see how things go tomorrow,” he concluded.