Márquez's Painful Return
Ducati's Gigi Dall'Igna Shares Marc Márquez's Reality: Racing Against Pain for Seventh Place
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Marc Márquez finished 7th at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix in Mugello — just 19 days after undergoing a double surgery on his right shoulder and right foot. Ducati General Manager Gigi Dall'Igna confirmed what many suspected: the nine-time world champion "had to run also against the pain." Informacion.es
The result was remarkable given the circumstances. Surgeons in Madrid had removed shifted hardware from a 2006 shoulder operation that was compressing a nerve in his right arm, and stabilized a foot fracture suffered at Le Mans. He still qualified 4th and finished 5th in the Sprint before fading late in the main race. Levante-emv.com
Double Surgery in 19 Days, Then Back on Track
On May 9, Márquez suffered a highside crash at the French GP and broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot. The next day, surgeons at Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid operated twice. They fixed the foot and removed screws from a 2019 shoulder surgery that had shifted and were pressing on his radial nerve — the nerve that controls feeling in the hand. Diario Córdoba
The nerve compression had been causing a "dead" feeling in Márquez's right hand during races. He could not feel the throttle or brake accurately. By May 28 — just 19 days after surgery — MotoGP Medical Director Dr. Angel Charte cleared him to ride at Mugello. LNE
Dall'Igna: Márquez 'Fought Like a Lion' Through the Pain
Ducati's General Manager did not hide the truth after the race. "A physical condition still strongly weakened did not prevent him from fighting like a lion," Dall'Igna said. Diario de Ibiza Márquez himself was blunt about the moment his body gave out. "I just gave everything until the right arm said, 'OK, stop,'" he explained. "I checked the pitboard and 10 laps still remained."
In those final 10 laps, Márquez lost roughly 0.6 seconds per lap to the leaders. He finished 10.7 seconds behind race winner Marco Bezzecchi. Still, he gave himself a "10 out of 10" for the weekend. Team Manager Davide Tardozzi backed him up. "If people knew the man, Marc Márquez, they wouldn't say certain things about him," Tardozzi said. La Opinión de Murcia
Championship Gap Widens as Aprilia Dominates at Home
The Mugello result was not just a personal story — it had real title consequences. Márquez now sits 102 points behind championship leader Marco Bezzecchi. With roughly half the season remaining, his chances of defending his ninth world title are essentially gone. El Periódico de Aragón
Aprilia made the weekend worse for Ducati. Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin took a double podium for Aprilia on Ducati's home turf. Martin also set a new MotoGP top speed record of 368.6 km/h during the weekend. Dall'Igna admitted Aprilia's RS-GP is currently superior in certain areas, forcing Ducati into a mid-season development push. La Opinión de Zamora
Márquez Shifts Focus to His Future, Not This Title
Márquez has publicly stepped back from the 2026 championship fight. He said he is now focused on his "future and prolonging his career." The priority was simple at Mugello: test whether the shoulder surgery had restored normal feeling to his arm. Analysts say the answer was yes — but he still lacked the strength for a full race distance. LNE
The bigger picture, according to paddock observers, is 2027. Ducati and Márquez appear to be playing a long game toward new technical regulations. Rival teams already sense an opening. Pedro Acosta noted that Márquez's physical limits were clear in right-hand corners, and KTM and Aprilia both see the current period as a rare window to gain ground on the reigning champion. Informacion.es
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