Marc Marquez expects an encouraging start to his MotoGP comeback at the Sepang test, but has warned that physical durability remains the key challenge as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury sustained late last season.
Speaking at Ducati’s team launch, the nine-time world champion said he anticipates feeling strong on the opening day of the three-day Malaysian test, before experiencing a noticeable drop in performance on day two.
“I can ride really well for one day, but on the second day I drop a lot,” Marquez said. “In Malaysia, I expect to feel super good on the first day, but it is a very demanding test physically, and controlling the level from one day to the next is the hardest part.”
Marquez injured his shoulder after contact with Marco Bezzecchi at the Indonesian Grand Prix on October 5, just a week after securing his ninth world title. While the injury has healed sufficiently to allow him back on track, he admitted the shoulder still struggles with repeated workloads.
Source: Tempo English
He compared the situation to his gym training, where he can no longer perform at the same level across consecutive days, something he was able to do last year. Despite that, Marquez believes his overall recovery is progressing in the right direction and says he is already back to his normal level for single-day riding.
At 32, Marquez stressed that speed itself is not a concern. He explained that when his physical condition feels right, the lap times come naturally. For that reason, he was not worried about missing the final four races of the 2024 season or the Valencia test, viewing his physical recovery as the priority.
Marquez also acknowledged that his absence from the season-ending rounds meant he was not directly involved in early development work on Ducati’s GP26. As a result, he will begin the 2025 season with a familiar base package before gradually introducing new components.
Ducati plans to focus on refining aerodynamics to improve turning performance and exploring permitted changes around the engine freeze to gain a small increase in top speed. Feedback from Alex Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia during the Valencia test will guide those updates as development continues.
The official Sepang test runs from February 3 to 5, followed by the Buriram test on February 21 and 22. Marquez will begin his title defence at the Thai Grand Prix one week later, with early-season fitness likely to be a decisive factor in his campaign.
