History: Reigning MotoGP Champion Marc Marquez Suffers Fracture, Will Miss Next Round
MotoGP champion Marc Marquez crashed during the sprint race ahead of the French Grand Prix, resulting in a leg fracture. The rider underwent surgery in Madrid, forcing him to miss not only the French round but also the next one — the Catalan Grand Prix.
Main Event
Reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez prematurely left the French Grand Prix and will miss the next round in Barcelona due to a serious injury sustained in a crash during the sprint race at Le Mans. On May 9, 2026, the 33-year-old Spanish rider from the factory Ducati Lenovo team suffered a massive highside on the penultimate lap of Saturday's sprint, after which his bike flipped several times in the air and landed near the rider. The crash occurred while Marquez was running in seventh place after starting from second.
Medical examination revealed a fracture of the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot. The rider was declared unfit to participate in Sunday's race and flew to Madrid that evening for surgery. Ducati officially confirmed that Marquez will miss not only the French Grand Prix but also the Catalan Grand Prix, scheduled for May 15-17 at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit in Montmelo.
Details and Statistics
The timeline of events unfolded rapidly. On Saturday, May 9, Marquez qualified second, just 0.012 seconds behind his teammate Francesco Bagnaia, who took pole. However, the sprint race turned into a disaster: after crashing on lap 12 (the penultimate lap), the Spaniard flew off the track, and his Ducati GP26 performed a series of somersaults in the gravel trap.
Marquez managed to get up on his own and make it to the pits, but was noticeably limping and avoiding putting weight on his right leg. After examination at the track's medical center and X-rays, doctors diagnosed a fracture of the fifth metatarsal bone. That same evening, the rider flew to Spain.
On Sunday, May 10, Marquez underwent a double surgery at the Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid. The surgical team, led by Dr. Samuel Antuna, also included Drs. Ignacio Roger de Ona, Andres Maldonado, Jorge de las Heras, Raul Barco, and Juan de Miguel. The first stage was stabilization of the fifth metatarsal fracture in his right foot using fixation devices. The second was a pre-planned intervention on his right shoulder, which became an unexpected twist in the story.
It turned out that even before the crash, Marquez had planned shoulder surgery after the Catalan Grand Prix. An injury sustained in October 2025 at the Indonesian Grand Prix had recurred: a broken screw had shifted and began pressing on the radial nerve, causing pain and limiting mobility. "This was one of the reasons I was cautious," the rider admitted in an interview with DAZN. "After Jerez, I realized something was wrong. The screw in the lateral ligament had changed position. That's what was causing me to make mistakes, be unstable, and have unexpected crashes."
During the surgery, surgeons removed two screws and a bone fragment remaining from the Latarjet procedure performed back in December 2019. Ducati confirmed that both interventions were successful. Marquez spent Sunday night in the hospital under medical supervision before going home to begin rehabilitation.
Context and Significance
What happened to Marquez is the culmination of an extremely poor start to the 2026 season for the reigning champion. The factory Ducati team, where the Spaniard is in his second season under crew chief Marco Rigamonti, has yet to bring him a single podium in Sunday races. Two sprint wins are scant consolation against two retirements in main races and an overall decline in results.
The statistics are sobering: after the French Grand Prix, Marquez's deficit to championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) reached 71 points in the general classification. Seventh place in the standings is an unthinkable position for a rider who won 11 Grands Prix and 14 sprints in the previous season. Marquez himself acknowledged the obvious: "I'm not thinking about defending the title."
The Spaniard's statement is not just an emotional reaction to the injury but a sober assessment of the situation. Shoulder problems, exacerbated after the fall in Indonesia 2025, had plagued the rider since the start of the season and significantly limited his capabilities. TNT Sports experts had discussed even before the crash how the chronic consequences of numerous crashes over a long career were affecting the seven-time world champion. Neil Hodgson suggested that Marquez might even leave the sport if he doesn't return to peak form, while Michael Laverty noted that the Spaniard is far from his best condition.
The decision to perform both surgeries simultaneously was a risky but pragmatic move. Initially, the shoulder intervention was planned after the Catalan round, but the foot fracture changed the schedule. Marquez and the Ducati medical staff preferred to combine the procedures to minimize total recovery time.
What's Next / Preview of the Next Round
Immediate prospects are defined with medical precision. Marquez will definitely miss the Catalan Grand Prix, which will take place from May 15 to 17 at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit in Montmelo. The track, which is the Spaniard's home circuit, will go without its most titled participant for the first time in many years. Ducati has not yet officially named a replacement for the Catalan round.
The next realistic target for a return is the Italian Grand Prix, scheduled for May 29-31 at the Mugello circuit — Ducati's home track. However, the final decision will depend on the recovery dynamics over the next two weeks. Doctors will assess how well the fifth metatarsal fracture is healing and how the shoulder rehabilitation is progressing after screw removal.
In Marquez's absence, the main focus in the championship shifts to the duel between two Aprilia riders — Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin. After the French round, Bezzecchi leads the overall standings, while Martin, who won the French Grand Prix, has cut the gap to a minimum and arrives in Barcelona as the main favorite. For Francesco Bagnaia, Marquez's Ducati teammate, the Catalan round will be a chance to redeem himself after his retirement at Le Mans and re-enter the title fight.
Live broadcasts of the Catalan Grand Prix will be available on the DAZN platform and through the official MotoGP Videopass service. The race promises to be open: the reigning champion's injury has reshuffled the deck and made the championship intrigue as sharp as ever.
— Editorial Team
