Marc Marquez admits he’s ‘struggling’ during post-race debrief with Davide Tardozzi at COTA
Marc Marquez had a difficult time in Austin, struggling to keep pace after a series of crashes and collisions. COTA has typically been a strong circuit for the Spaniard, but in 2026, he couldn’t get things working.
Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images Marc Marquez had a difficult time in Austin, struggling to keep pace after a series of crashes and collisions. COTA has typically been a strong circuit for the Spaniard, but in 2026, he couldn’t get things working. After a heavy crash during practice, Marquez needed a bandage on his right forearm.
He topped that session despite the setback, though things didn’t improve from there. He qualified sixth and was outqualified by Francesco Bagnaia, and his Sprint race ended early after just one lap. At turn 12, Marquez collided with Fabio Di Giannantonio and picked up a long lap penalty for it.
He accepted responsibility for the incident. The penalty further limited his chances of achieving a strong result as he continued to deal with the lingering effects of his shoulder injury from 2025. Marc Marquez tells Davide Tardozzi he’s ‘struggling’ after US GP Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images After taking the long lap penalty, Marquez managed to salvage P5, following a strong battle with Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini.
In the post-race debrief, he admitted his struggles to Davide Tardozzi. Ducati’s official YouTube channel detailed the exchange between the two, with Tardozzi saying: “From when you overtook Fermin to when you arrived to Pecco and Enea, you gained eight tenths on Bezzecchi. ” Marquez then gave his assessment: “Yes, I was going fast there, I felt really good.