Why Alex Marquez hasn't been able to replicate his 2025 MotoGP form

Alex Marquez’s 2026 MotoGP campaign is struggling to match the breakthrough pace he showed in 2025, even after Ducati awarded him a factory-spec bike. With five rounds remaining, he sits eighth in the championship on 172 points—less than half of what older brother Marc Marquez has. The gap to VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio, who also rides the GP26, is 73 points. Gresini insists Marquez hasn’t lost speed; the team attributes inconsistent results to a compromised right shoulder after breaking his collarbone in May’s Catalan Grand Prix crash with Pedro Acosta. Team manager Michele Masini says the injury has left him short of full capability and that riding requires being at 100%. He also notes a difficult start due to the GP26’s fit and Ducati-Aprilia rivalry early on.