Marc Marquez has admitted the toughest part of his remarkable return to MotoGP title contention was not the physical pain, but the mental burden of racing without knowing why he kept crashing.
The reigning world champion has fought his way back into championship contention after a difficult start to the 2026 season, reducing what was once a triple-digit points deficit to just 18 points following victories in three of the last four Grands Prix.
Behind that resurgence was months of uncertainty caused by the shoulder injury he suffered in last year's Indonesian Grand Prix. The crash compressed the radial nerve in his right arm, causing it to stop responding unpredictably while he was riding.
Marquez said the condition left him confused and anxious because there was no warning before the problem appeared.
"I need to rest mentally. Nobody can imagine the level of stress I went through during the first part of the season," Marquez said.
"For the first five races, I couldn't understand what was happening. I kept crashing without knowing why because my nerves weren't giving me any warning."
Source: Coffee Corner Motorsport
The turning point came during the French Grand Prix weekend, when doctors identified the root cause of the problem. Marquez underwent his seventh operation and returned to racing just 20 days later at Mugello.
Although he approached his comeback cautiously, the surgery immediately restored his confidence. Since then, he has delivered a string of strong performances, including his latest victory at Sachsenring, where he claimed his third win in four races to reignite his championship challenge.
Marquez admitted the intensity required to produce those results has been exhausting, both physically and mentally, and not something he believes he can sustain throughout an entire season.
Even so, his latest comeback has once again highlighted the resilience that has defined his career. After overcoming another major injury setback, the Ducati rider has transformed what once looked like a lost title defence into one of the most compelling championship battles of the season.
