The nine-time world champion from Spain reveals some behind-the-scenes details of his recovery: “If I do activities like playing padel or throwing stones into the river for three days, my right side hurts.” And he returns to his rivalry with Valentino.
For Marc Marquez, it’s time for “throttle therapy.” The Ducati rider used this ironic term on social media to announce the resumption of motorcycle training after the serious injury to his right shoulder suffered during the Indonesian Grand Prix. The Spaniard is stepping up his preparation for the 2026 MotoGP World Championship. However, his recent injuries have left their mark. Marquez spoke about this during an interview with La Sexta. And there was no shortage of references to his never-ending feud with Valentino Rossi.
His return to the saddle marks an important step forward, but not the end of Marc’s suffering: “I’ve always been someone who lives with pain. But if I sleep on my right side, I know it will hurt. Also, if I do activities such as playing padel or throwing stones into the river for three days, I know I will feel pain. I have a high tolerance. This has been useful on several occasions, but in other circumstances it has definitely hurt me. Sometimes I thought that an injury wasn’t that serious.“ Marquez then added: ”Every injury has three stages. In the first stage, you feel devastated, and no one can comfort you. This year, even though I won the title, I spent three weeks at home in isolation. The pain makes you angry, and you take it out on your loved ones. Then there’s the second stage: everyone tries to slow me down. The last stage is about patience: I want to get on my bike, even though I can’t.” Marc admitted that he has learned a few lessons: “Crashes teach you your limits and make you respect the risk. It’s taboo, but once you’re home, you realize the damage you’ve suffered.”
Marquez and Valentino— Despite his recent injury, in 2025 Marquez caught up with Rossi in the number of world titles won, nine in total. He has had no relationship with the Italian for 10 years. The Spaniard glossed over the subject: “Living with resentment is very difficult. I don’t want my fans to hold a grudge. I prefer them to save their energy to cheer me on. When I was injured, it was another rider who got in my way. He made a mistake, but no one does it on purpose: we are always at the limit, but sometimes people don’t understand that.” This was a reference to the request he made to his fans after the collision with Marco Bezzecchi in Indonesia.
future— Finally, the nine-time world champion imagined his next steps, including retirement: “The hardest thing for an athlete is to understand when and how to stop. I know I’ll retire because of my body.“ Being a rider is as special as it is risky. Marc admitted: ”I wouldn’t like to see my son hypothetically practicing this sport. I’m very protective, my last name wouldn’t help him. People would say he got there because of his family. Better a soccer ball, a racket, or anything else.”
