Marc Marquez is back on his Ducati bike today at the Italian Grand Prix in FP1, with MotoGP analyst Neil Hodgson citing the ‘amazing’ sight of the former world champion’s return to action.
All eyes were on Ducati Garages before FP1 at Mugello as Mark Marquez He is set to return to prototype machinery after a three-week layoff that saw him undergo surgery on a broken right leg, as well as a troublesome right hand.
Fabio Di Giannantonio takes first place in Italian Grand Prix FP1! Can he build on this over the weekend?
The Spaniard was rolling in the factory Ducati box after arriving at the Tuscany-based circuit in a medical boot strapped to his injured leg.
During his media duties at the Italian Grand Prix on Thursday afternoon, Marquez described the ‘physical limitations’ he now faced. After years of injury nightmares, however, his determination to succeed in the Premier League is clearly the same.
Neil Hodgson has highlighted what was ‘amazing’ about Marc Marquez’s first round in MotoGP.
Season TNT Sports FP1 cover by Italian Grand Prixtrains MotoGP riders. Neil Hodgson After reviewing the first lap on the prototype machine, he gave an ‘amazing’ verdict on Marquez.
The factory Ducati star finished the session 15th fastest on the timesheets, a second ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio’s benchmark. Teammate Francesco Bagnaia finished FP1 in P8, four-tenths off the Spaniard.
What do you think of the Ducati Centenary Special for the Italian Grand Prix?
“It was fun to watch Mark, he was literally riding around, he didn’t really look like he was pushing,” Hodgson told co-commentators.
“He’s out of step. It’s the 20th, there’s a second and a half left, and his body language is just completely flipped. It’s weird, all of a sudden, he’s pushing. He stops his shoulder, and now it’s like, ‘Right, let’s go.’
Presenter Suzy Perry went on to explain how Marquez is taking a ‘sensible’ approach to his first legs on the bike, adding: “Well it’s the right thing to do.”
“Because of what Mark has been through, he’s more intelligent now than he was before.”
Marc Marquez has ruled himself out of contention for the 2026 MotoGP title
Early signs suggest that Marquez is taking a more cautious approach this weekend as he tries to achieve an easy target to get back up to speed following his recent injury.
Ahead of the tournament weekend, he was able to confirm that he was returning to the field to test his fitness. Of course, the Spaniard is a born-winner, so if there is anything to win, he will still try to grab it.
In his comments to the media on Thursday, Marquez downplayed his chances of defending his MotoGP title this yearHe admits that he simply cannot argue.
He is 85 points clear of championship leader Marco Bezecchi in the MotoGP standings. Pedro Acosta explained earlier. If Marquez is not at full fitness, the 2026 title will mean less.
Receive competition news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
