Marc Marquez hints at retirement plans from MotoGP amid injuries

The nine-time world champion, widely considered by many to be the greatest of all time, clinched his most recent premier class title after a dominant season with Ducati's factory team in 2025.

Having secured the title in Japan, Marquez then suffered an injury to his right shoulder following a collision with Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi in Indonesia - an incident which saw the Spaniard forced to sit out for the remaining rounds.

In a recent interview with Spanish outlet La Sexta, Marquez opened up about the challenges he has been through and the toll it has taken on his body.

 "For me, the hardest thing for an athlete is knowing when and how to retire. Whether to keep going or not,"  said Marquez.

"If there's passion and as long as my body holds up... I know I'll retire sooner because of my body than my mind."

Throughout his career, Marquez has battled through injury and adversity. His right shoulder in particular has been a persistent problem over the years, suffering from several tears, breaks and surgeries over the years. 

The crash in Indonesia might have taken more out of Ducati's reigning world champion than first expected. 

"I have to understand year by year how my body is doing," Marquez continued. "Mentally it goes like a rocket, there's fuel there, but understanding how and when to do it."

Nonetheless, Marquez returned to training on a Ducati Panigale V4 at the Aspar Circuit earlier this month, so it seems that he will be fighting fit to defend his title at the start of the 2026 season.

The Spaniard will be looking to bounce back in time for pre-season testing, which is scheduled for the 29th-31st of January in Sepang. The opening round of the season will take place in Buriram, Thailand on the weekend of 31st February - 1st March 2026. Check out the full calendar for the coming 2026 MotoGP season.

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