Marc Marquez looks 'really drained and unhappy' amid injury issues ahead of MotoGP season opener in Thailand

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Seven-time MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez has struggled for his best form in pre-season testing after a shoulder injury that required surgery in October 2025, after colliding with Marco Bezzecchi at Grand Prix Indonesia. Speaking to TNT Sports, Sylvain Guintoli noticed that Marquez still looks off the pace, and does not appear his usual confident self.

'He's clearly struggling' - Guintoli worried for Marquez after shoulder surgery

Video credit: TNT Sports

TNT Sports pundit Sylvain Guintoli says "there’s something not quite right about Marc Marquez" ahead of Grand Prix Thailand.

A collision with Marco Bezzecchi last season at Grand Prix Indonesia in October caused a shoulder injury which required surgery, and the Spaniard missed the remaining five race weekends of the 2025 season.

Given Marquez’s form from the very start of that campaign, he had already won the championship for an emotional seventh MotoGP world title, many had anticipated that he would have plenty of time to make a full recovery as he looked to make a title defence.

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However, the injury has still not fully healed, and Marquez has endured a difficult couple of pre-season testing events with a few notable crashes.

For all Marquez’s success, his is a career that is in some way defined by his fitness struggles in previous years, which led to years of competing while a long way from his best form.

Given he is a rider who often succeeds because he is both willing and able to race far more aggressively than his peers, any problems with his fitness can have an outsize effect on his form on the track.

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The reigning world champion appears to be struggling to find his usual strength, and is using the Ducati Lenovo 2024 aero package as it gives him an easier ride as his rehabilitation continues.

Fellow TNT Sports pundit Neil Hodgson has suggested that the 33-year-old is vulnerable this season and now is the time to strike for his rivals, both for success in this Grand Prix and also for the 2026 world title, with his sibling Alex Marquez of BK8 Gresini looking strong again, and Bezzecchi of Aprilia looking to be a potentially dangerous candidate for a title tilt.

Guintoli observed on Friday that Marquez’s body language suggests there is a lack of confidence about the coming action in Thailand.

He said: "There's something not quite right about Marc Marquez. He's been honest about his injury, saying it's not the same.

"He's had surgery, and it took a long time to recover, and he's still not 100%. But his body language since the start of the weekend, he just looked really drained and just looked unhappy. I think there's some difficulties, physically as well.

"Last week in the test they tried the different aero configuration, that he said the 2025 version he was running last year was more stable. But there's too much [physically] at the moment, and that's why he's gone for the 2024 package.

"Marc Marquez is not at his best and the Aprilia being strong is going to throw up some competition."

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