Marquez's surgeon responds to shocking pictures: 'Will never be normal again'
Marquez gave a stunning update on his shoulder (Photo: Race Pictures)
17:30, 06 Sep
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Connor Andrews is Formula 1 and MotoGP writer for GPblog and various outlets. Having worked in motorsport for 15 years for leading companies, he has interviewed the sports biggest names and attended multiple Grands Prix.
One of the surgeons behind Marc Marquez’s seven arm operations has explained the MotoGP legend’s shocking pictures of the aftermath.
Marquez uploaded a series of pictures to his social media accounts, and one of them showed him doing an arm exercise that caused his followers to be completely stunned.
With his arms stretched above his head, his right shoulder appears considerably thinner and more damaged than his left.
Since 2020, Marquez has undergone a series of surgeries on his arm and shoulder, which saw him miss the majority of the following four seasons and flirt with retirement.
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He recovered to win the 2025 championship, but suffered a shoulder dislocation in the Indonesian Grand Prix and missed the final four races of the season.
The issue has carried over into 2026, causing further problems, including a bent screw that needed straightening during a two-race injury break.
The new pictures have shed light on just how horrendous things must have been for the 33-year-old who is still struggling with pain.
And now, one of the doctors behind his surgeries, Samuel Antuna, has given even more stunning insight.
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Marc Marquez will ‘never have a normal arm again’
He told El Periodico: “He doesn't have a normal arm at all, nor will he ever have one again. Marc struggles to play padel; that says it all.
“If Marc were Carlos Alcaraz, he would have had to retire from professional tennis.
"Marc is trying to compensate for all these shortcomings by training even harder, if possible, and adapting his riding style to the characteristics of his arm now.
“Now, after everything we've experienced and learned together, he's more mature and thinks things through much more beforehand.
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"Clinically, it's difficult to understand what Marc is doing, the way he keeps winning races."
Most recently at Silverstone, Marquez was seen struggling with right turns, and admitted he will have to pick his races carefully if he’s to win his 10th championship this season.
Marquez defies doctors to keep winning in MotoGP
Explaining the current state of play, Antuna used a shocking but very fitting analogy.
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"The indentation in the right armpit isn't a shark bite,” he said. “It's the result of how much the muscles have been manipulated, loosened, and repositioned in the various operations.
"He's not missing any muscles, but they're not perfect; they're a bit atrophied, a bit altered, and that's why he doesn't have as much strength in that arm as in his left.
"That arm is very limited in strength, especially the biceps. I think the expression that Marc is currently racing with one and a half arms is appropriate to the current state of his right arm.”
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Friday 11.09.26
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