Marc Marquez: ‘I’m the one missing, not the bike’ after US GP struggles

A dejected Marquez reflected on a tough weekend in Austin as he continues his pursuit of a first grand prix podium of 2026

Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez believes his lacklustre fifth-place finish at the United States Grand Prix was down to his own shortcomings rather than a limitation with his Ducati.

Still recovering from the shoulder injury that cut short his title-winning 2025 campaign, Marquez endured a trying weekend at Austin, a track where he was near-unbeatable during his golden years with Honda.

The Spaniard’s chances of adding to his seven victories at the Circuit of the Americas were already looking slim after he picked up a long-lap penalty for colliding with VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio in the sprint.

But the seven-time MotoGP champion also lost significant time in the early stages of the race on Sunday, as he squabbled with di Giannantonio and Honda’s Joan Mir for fourth, fifth and sixth positions.

He dropped out of the top 10 after going through the penalty loop and, although he was able to recover some lost ground, he was unable to trouble the front-runners for a podium position.

Marquez, who qualified sixth for the race, ruled out the idea that a record-extending win at Austin would have been possible without the penalty.

“Podium, yes. Fighting for the podium, [yes], but not for the victory,” he conceded.

“We paid for the mistake of yesterday and it's what happens now in MotoGP... but we did the maximum.”

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Aprilia has dethroned Ducati and become the manufacturer to beat in MotoGP, with factory rider Marco Bezzecchi claiming victory in the opening three grands prix of the season.

The US GP marked the second time in three events that Ducati failed to even finish on the podium. It’s a drastic decline for the Borgo Panigale marque, which arrived in the new season on the back of 88 consecutive podium finishes stretching back to the 2021 British GP.

However, Marquez took full responsibility for his lack of form in the early part of the season, highlighting that he has been struggling for pace in the opening laps.

“I'm missing; myself is missing, not the bike,” he said. “In the first laps, when the tyres are new, the bike becomes more aggressive and I can’t ride at the moment.”

He added: “I was fast in the beginning and then in the end I felt better and better, like normal. Now we have three weeks to try to improve the first laps.”

The postponement of the Qatar Grand Prix has created an unexpected gap in the schedule, with the next round at Jerez not scheduled until 25-26 April.

The Spanish GP will be followed by an official in-season test, providing riders and manufacturers much-needed track time to develop their packages.

Marquez feels he can no longer make a difference on the bike, and believes he - rather than Ducati - needs to make the biggest improvement to return to the front.

“Jerez will be a different kind of track, but in the end, when you are fast, you are fast everywhere. There, we will try to do a step, especially I want to make a step [forward] - myself more than the bike.

“I need to understand well how to improve the first laps. I don't feel well on the bike. It looks like I get used to a position on the bike, not a natural position, and then I'm just riding. I'm still fast, but I cannot make the difference.”