Marc Marquez pinpoints key weakness after Jerez MotoGP test

Marc Marquez said he spent much of the Jerez test working to improve his feeling with the Ducati’s front end, which he has identified as his main weakness so far in the 2026 MotoGP season.

The reigning world champion evaluated a new front fairing and swingarm on Monday, as Ducati brought a raft of updates to the post-Spanish GP test to take on chief rival Aprilia.

The Spaniard finished the day fourth on the timesheets, just over three tenths down on Trackhouse’s Ai Ogura, as Aprilia riders locked out the top three positions with a heavily revised RS-GP.

Marquez has struggled to feel comfortable on the GP26 for much of this season and, despite taking two sprint wins, is yet to secure a podium finish in a Sunday race. 

His Spanish GP weekend also ended in disappointment despite an impressive pole position and an unlikely sprint win, with a crash on lap two leading to an early retirement. While he admitted to a mistake, he failed to offer a proper explanation for the accident.

Monday’s Jerez test offered Marquez a chance to try new parts and improve his front feeling, with the 33-year-old encouraged by the progress he and Ducati made on track.

"We concentrated most of the day on the aerodynamics, but we were also working at the same time on the chassis area," he said.

"We had some modifications there, and some interesting things. So it was important to try to regain the feeling of the front tyre. That is where most of the time we are struggling more this year.

"From that point, we did some steps, and the aerodynamics were also helpful in some areas for my riding style."

Bikes of Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Photo by: German Garcia

May is set to be a busy month in MotoGP, with three races scheduled across western Europe. Another one-day test after the Catalan GP will also offer manufacturers the opportunity to further fine-tune their bikes before turning attention to the 2027 regulations.

Marquez is hoping some of the new components he tried at Jerez can be introduced in the near future.

"Ducati is working super hard. We had many parts in this test, and this makes me happy because it was a busy but interesting test," he said.

"Now we need to evaluate all the parts and [decide] when to introduce these new parts because in three weeks we have another test in Barcelona.

"There are things we've tested that can help immediately, some bigger, some smaller. It will go better, some worse, it depends. We'll arrive at Le Mans and it will be a different track, and the weather will surely be different."

Marquez also took encouragement from the fact that all Ducati riders were on the same page after the test, as they offered valuable feedback to the Borgo Panigale marque.

While Ducati secured its first grand prix win of the year on Sunday, it remains unclear whether it now has a more competitive package than Aprilia, which dominated the opening flyaway rounds.

"I think a lot of things have been understood, particularly what we've seen with the new aerodynamics," he said. "But we've also been working on the bike's chassis, and all the riders have had more or less the same feedback: Pecco [Bagnaia], Alex [Marquez].

"Above all, mine has been very clear, about where I think we need to improve. Well, I'm not talking about the direction, I'm simply talking about the bike's handling, and I think we've all had the same comment. That's positive."