Marc Marquez may be suffering from Ducati’s forced change of riding style, says KTM rider Pedro Acosta.
For the first time in his MotoGP career (while working) Marquez He failed to score a podium in the first four rounds. He crashed out of the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday, leaving him 44 points adrift of the championship lead.
Marquez has won two sprint races this year, including a wet-weather victory in Jerez, but the reigning world champion continues to look out of sorts in the dry.
Marc Marquez never came back from a deficit greater than 37 points
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Pedro Acosta says Marc Marquez can’t drive naturally.
AcostaIn the year Expected to join the Ducati factory team in 2027, Marquez was asked after the race about his failure.
Marquez doubts he will be forced to ‘drive differently’ this year, meaning he can no longer operate on instinct.
The 33-year-old missed the last four rounds of the 2025 season with a shoulder injury. Despite participating fully in pre-season testing, he still appears to be lacking in fitness.
Marc Marquez is out! Big crash for Ducati rider at Spanish Grand Prix 😲 What does this mean for his 2026 title hopes?
“I’m speaking from my limited experience compared to him,” Acosta said. Sports world. “Often when you’re used to riding your bike and for whatever reason you have to ride a different way, when you have to push, it’s harder to focus on riding the way it is, not just reacting to what you feel.
It’s clear that he may have had some trouble since Indonesia last year because it’s not uncommon to see this from Mark.
Seven-time premier class champion Marquez said he doesn’t feel any pressure. Completed a remarkable comeback from four arm surgeries to defend his crown this year.
‘On Sunday, he let us down’ – Pedro Acosta by Marco Bezecchi
Bezeci finished second behind Alex Marquez in Sunday’s race, but managed to extend the gap to team-mate Jorge Martin to 11 points.
He scored 95 of his 101 points in Grand Prix format, with three sprint retirements keeping the championship close. Acosta admits the Italian’s rivals need to ‘step up’.
“Maybe before we took advantage of the mistake, but on Sunday he let us down and that’s what strengthens him as a clear contender for the World Championship,” he said. The rest of us have to step up our game if we want to do something.
Acosta finished a season-low P10 in Jerez in a difficult weekend for KTM, which saw him lose third place in the standings to VR46 Fabio Di Giannantonio.
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