Dani Pedrosa questions Marc Marquez title hopes after slow start
Photo by Klaus Pressberger/SEPA. Media /Getty Images Dani Pedrosa has shared some concerns about Marc Marquez’s chances in the 2026 MotoGP title race, pointing out that the reigning champion hasn’t looked at his sharpest so far this season. Marquez has collected 34 points from the opening two rounds, leaving him 22 points adrift of Marco Bezzecchi.
His best finish so far came with a fourth-place result in Brazil. There have been some positives for the Ducati rider. He took the Goiania Sprint win and put up a strong fight against Pedro Acosta in Thailand’s Saturday race.
He also felt a podium was within reach in Buriram if not for a tyre issue that ended his race early. Dani Pedrosa: Marc Marquez is focusing on damage control Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images Despite it still being early in the season, and with clear mitigating factors, Pedrosa has raised concerns about Marquez. He says that the 10-time world champion has always needed a quick start to go on and win titles in the past.
Marquez was already coming into this year not fully fit after a shoulder injury cut short his 2025 campaign. Adding to the difficulties, Luigi Dall’Igna has admitted that Marquez hasn’t found his comfort zone on the bike yet, despite being the only rider last season who could consistently manage Ducati’s challenging GP25. “If you look at the championships Marc has won, I doubt he’s failed to win a race between the first and second rounds.
It would possibly be the first time Marc has started the world championship without winning either the first or second race, with the possibility of later winning title. ” “What I mean by this is that we’re seeing a Marc who understands he’s not at his best, whether it’s due to his physical condition, the bike or both. ” “And he’s playing that ‘well it’s not my best moment so I’ll get as many points as I can until we turn things around and I’m ready to win’ card.