Marc Marquez has revealed that concerns over his physical condition have delayed his contract negotiations with Ducati in MotoGP.
Ducati has been eager to extend its relationship with Marquez following his impressive title-winning campaign in 2025, and has made securing his signature a priority over finalising its second factory seat.
Marquez, for his part, has also expressed a desire to sign a new deal with the Borgo Panigale marque, but the length of their contract has appeared to be the main stumbling block.
It is understood that Ducati wants to lock the Spaniard into a two-year deal, until the end of the 2028 season, while Marquez has so far been cautious about committing beyond a single year.
Multiple theories have floated as to why Marquez wouldn’t want to sign a multiple-year deal, including suggestions that he wanted to assess Ducati’s competitiveness under 850cc regulations next year.
Speaking at the Buriram test, Marquez opened up about the delays in contract negotiations with Ducati, stating that he is prepared to commit to a two-year extension provided he is fully satisfied with the recovery from the shoulder injury that cut short his 2025 campaign.
“We are working on it with Ducati,” he said about his contract talks. “The ideal [length] for them is two years, because if not, you are in the middle of nowhere.
Marc Marquez, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
“At the moment, the most important thing for me was to start the pre-season feeling better and better. I feel a small step, but [it is a tangible] a step between the Malaysia test and here. So let’s see if I continue feeling better with my physical condition.
“If today I feel a small step in my shoulder and tomorrow another one, it will not be a problem for me for [a] two years [contract].”
Asked to confirm if he wanted a one-year to gauge his physical condition, Marquez replied: “Yes. It’s my biggest limitation. As I always say, when you are injured, you cannot take any decision and sign any contracts.
“I was trying to understand my new injury and how it was. I feel like it’s coming [recovering] in a good way. There is still some work to do, but it’s coming in a good way. So for that reason, we are working with Ducati in a good way too.”
Just a week after sealing the 2025 MotoGP title, Marquez was taken out by Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi at the start of the Indonesian Grand Prix in October.
The incident left him with a fracture on his right shoulder and he was forced to sit out the remainder of the season. After almost four months away, he made his comeback on a MotoGP bike at the Sepang test at the start of February, and is making the final preparations for 2026 in this weekend’s Buriram test.
Marc Marquez, Ducati Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images
Marquez reiterated that multiple major injuries throughout his career have taken a toll on his body, leading to longer layoff periods after each incident.
“For me, it’s not getting harder with age. It’s getting harder with the injuries,” he said. “In the end, I still feel young on the mental side. But it’s true that with the injuries, one after another one after another one, makes my body lazier and lazier, and it takes more time. So for that reason, this winter was super long.
“Still, we are working on it. After the Thailand race, we have two weeks more [break]. So let’s see if we can continue on evolution.”
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