Andrew McLarneyMotoGP Reporter
Andrew McLarney is an accredited MotoGP reporter with four years experience as a professional writer across the sports and video game industries. His experience as a K1 Premier League competitor evolved into a fascination with all forms of combat sport and eventually motorsport — with MotoGP becoming his primary focus. On top of that he is also an avid follower of MXGP and AMA Supercross/Motocross.
Reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez has shown the extent of his arm injury sustained in COTA, where he suffered a nasty crash at over 100mph. Ahead of this weekend's race, it seems that Marquez is still not fully back to 100%.
One of the big stories of the opening three rounds of the season has been the recovery and fitness of Marc Marquez. After being taken out by Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi at last year's Indonesian Grand Prix, Marquez was sidelined for the final four rounds, but still managed to comfortably win the world title ahead of his brother.
However, the crash in Mandalika seems to have had lingering effects at the start of 2026. Marquez has been competitive but not up to the standards everyone has come to expect. While the dip in form is by no means disastrous, it has led many to speculate about his future in the sport, particularly with new retirement hints dropping seemingly every week.
Despite the insistence from Ducati's lead engineer Gigi Dall'Igna that Marquez is very much back to 100% fitness, today's media scrum in Jerez revealed a different picture:
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The large abrasion on Marquez's forearm still hasn't fully healed, which may be a concern for Ducati going into the race weekend. Marquez cannot afford to sustain further injuries at this early stage of the season, particularly when rivals Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi are in such good form.
MotoGP Jerez Spanish Grand Prix Full Schedule: Sessions, start times, where to watch
The first European round of the 2026 season is set to take place at the iconic Circuito de Jerez in Andalusia this weekend in what promises to be a crucial battle in the MotoGP World Championship. Find the full schedule, as well as start times, qualifying and everything else here.
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Spanish Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 11.09.26
Practice 1
11:30 AM
Practice 2
03:00 PM
Saturday 12.09.26
Practice 3
10:30 AM
Qualification
02:00 PM
Sunday 13.09.26
Race
01:00 PM
Friday 11.09.26
Practice 1
Fri 11:30 AM
Practice 2
Fri 03:00 PM
Saturday 12.09.26
Practice 3
Sat 10:30 AM
Qualification
Sat 02:00 PM
Sunday 13.09.26
Race
Sun 01:00 PM
Times are in your local timezone
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F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 267 | |
2 | MercedesMER | 201 | |
3 | FerrariFER | 191 | |
4 | McLarenMCL | 171 | |
5 | FerrariFER | 155 | |
6 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 127 | |
7 | McLarenMCL | 116 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 71 | |
9 | Racing BullsRCB | 51 | |
10 | AlpineALP | 41 |
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