Marc Marquez has made a positive start to his MotoGP title defense at the 2026 Sepang test, but Ducati boss Davide Tardozzi admitted that all was not perfect in Malaysia.
The full MotoGP field is assembled for the first time in 2026 at the Sepang International Circuit from Tuesday to Thursday. Sepang also marked the spot Marquez to get on Ducati First MotoGP bike after shoulder surgery last October.
Marquez won the 2025 MotoGP riders’ title with a record five lapsRound 17 of 22 in Japan. But he suffered a coracoid fracture and ligament damage to his right shoulder at the next round in Indonesia after being taken by Aprilia’s Marco Bezecchi.
A total of 121 days separated the race at Mandalika between the time Marquez suffered the injury and the first test day at Sepang. In that period Ducati’s work seems to have paid off, as Marquez believes that the Ducati 2026 bike “feels better”. Instead of the GP25 they had on board.
Davide Tardozzi admitted that Marc Marquez’s Ducati was not as ‘smooth’ as ​​the other bikes.
But the 2026 Sepang test was not a flawless affair for the 32-year-old, although he did not try to admit too much. Later Marquez crashed on the third day of the 2026 Sepang testreport by The newspaper He declined to discuss issues that may have affected the final day’s route.
Read more: Marc Marquez’s first MotoGP title with Ducati was defined in five moments
Márquez is known for his desire to protect the team and his preference to keep any issues in-house. So the Spaniard tried to wrap around the ‘minor problems’ he had in GP26 during the Sprint Race simulations, the Ducati team manager said. Tardozi Explained.
El Periodico added that Tardozzi ‘reluctantly’ opened up about the Marquez problem at the end of the final day at Sepang. “It wasn’t hard,” said the Italian, “but the bike was ultimately not as smooth as the other three Factory Desmosedici bikes.”
Alex Marquez set the fastest lap time and Sprint SIM average on Day 3 of the Sepang test.
Ducati will have four factory-spec Desmosedici GP26 bikes on the grid in the 2026 MotoGP season, with duo Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia Plus Gresini ace Alex Marquez and VR46 star Fabio Di Giannantonio. Alex is the only new rider to receive a factory Ducati.
Ducati chose to give Alex Marquez a factory special bike for 2026 After finishing second to his brother Marc in the 2025 Riders race against a year old GP24. Alex used his GP26 to record the best average lap time among Sprint sims at Sepang.
Gresini saw the works of Alex Edge for Ducati Racing’s Bagnaia and Marc’s 10-lap average lap times of 1:58.027, compared to 1:58.166 and 1:58.289. Alex also finished the Sepang test on top with an overall fastest lap time of 1:56.402 set on Thursday, marking only fourth.
