Alex Marquez’s 2026 MotoGP season has been a difficult contrast to the breakthrough campaign he enjoyed last year, but Gresini Racing remains convinced that the Spaniard has not lost his speed.
After finishing runner-up in the 2025 championship, Marquez entered the new season with high expectations, particularly after receiving Ducati’s factory-spec GP26. However, a difficult start, a serious shoulder injury and several costly mistakes have prevented him from maintaining the consistency that made him a title contender last year.
With five rounds remaining, the 30-year-old sits eighth in the championship with 172 points, less than half the tally of his older brother, Marc Marquez. He also trails fellow GP26 rider Fabio di Giannantonio by 73 points.
Despite the disappointing results, Gresini team manager Michele Masini believes Marquez's underlying pace remains intact. He pointed to the injury sustained at the Catalan Grand Prix in May as a major turning point in the Spaniard's season.
Before the Barcelona crash, Marquez had begun finding his rhythm after struggling with the GP26 during the opening rounds. He ended Aprilia's winning streak with a commanding victory at Jerez and followed it up by winning the Barcelona sprint race.
However, his momentum came to an abrupt halt when Pedro Acosta's KTM suffered an electrical problem on the back straight during the Barcelona Grand Prix. Marquez was forced off the track while attempting to avoid the slowing motorcycle and hit the ground heavily, breaking his collarbone.
The injury ruled him out of the next two rounds at Mugello and Balaton Park. He subsequently abandoned his attempted comeback at Brno before finally returning to a Sunday race at the Dutch Grand Prix.
"We know that after winning years, the later years could be tough, at least to repeat the same results," Masini told Motorsport.com.
"This year, at a certain point, when we found a very good base and a very good speed like last year, we had a huge crash in Barcelona, a huge injury that stopped him for a couple of races."
Masini added that misfortune had played a part in Marquez's struggles, insisting that the rider had demonstrated his speed again after returning from injury.
However, the recovery remains incomplete, and the physical demands of MotoGP mean even a small limitation can have a significant effect.
Marquez admitted that his right shoulder was still troubling him when he competed at the Indonesian Grand Prix. While the gaps between races initially helped him manage the injury, the demanding second half of the calendar made recovery increasingly difficult.
He explained that the physical strain became more noticeable from Austria onwards, with the long journey to Japan and the subsequent Indonesian round adding to the problem. As a result, he has had to manage his physical energy carefully to avoid aggravating the shoulder.
The injury has also coincided with a series of uncharacteristic errors. At the German Grand Prix, Marquez crashed while running second behind his brother, later admitting that overconfidence had contributed to the mistake. After the summer break, he was the fastest Ducati rider at Silverstone but threw away a potential podium with what he described as an unacceptable error.
His difficulties continued at Motegi, where gear-selection mistakes on two occasions further compromised his weekend.
Masini acknowledged that riders must learn to recover mentally from difficult races and mistakes, stressing the importance of working together with the team to reset and move forward.
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"Sometimes you have to face different conditions, which can affect your weekend. Sometimes after a crash, the rider has to switch his mind to reset and understand what happened," he said.
"But it's also normal that a worst weekend could happen during a season."
Marquez's inconsistent results have also reflected Ducati's wider struggles against Aprilia, while the gap between Marc and the other Ducati riders has grown considerably since the summer break.
Marc has collected 163 points since racing resumed at Silverstone, including three double victories across the sprint and grand prix races, as well as another sprint win. Alex has been Ducati's second-highest scorer over the same period, but his 85 points underline the difference between the brothers' recent form.
Nevertheless, Gresini believes Alex could have remained competitive with Marc had he avoided the Barcelona injury.
Masini said that before the crash, Alex was performing at a similar level to the previous season and had even been faster than his brother on certain occasions. The injury, however, changed the team's priorities, shifting its focus towards managing his recovery while continuing to pursue strong championship results.
There have still been encouraging moments. Marquez finished second in the Aragon sprint and later challenged Marc for victory at the San Marino Grand Prix, demonstrating that he can remain competitive despite his physical limitations.
His performances also need to be viewed against the difficulties experienced by other Ducati riders, including Di Giannantonio and Francesco Bagnaia, who have struggled to consistently extract the best from the GP26.
As Marquez prepares to end his four-year spell with Gresini, both sides will be hoping to finish their partnership on a positive note. The Italian team played an important role in rebuilding his career after a difficult period with Honda, helping him establish himself as one of MotoGP's leading riders.
With the final rounds approaching, Masini remains confident in Marquez's determination to return to his best. He praised the Spaniard for continuing his recovery work after every session and race, despite the challenges posed by the packed schedule.
Gresini's immediate priority is to maximise the remaining opportunities and secure strong results before the season ends. While repeating his 2025 achievements may now be difficult, the team believes his pace is still there, provided he can overcome the lingering effects of his injury.
