Former Marc Marquez rival Andrea Dovizioso believes the reigning MotoGP champion’s physical situation is “more serious than it seems”.

The factory Ducati rider suffered a complex shoulder injury last October at the Indonesian Grand Prix, which ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign.

Marc Marquez still isn’t 100% fit, admitting during the recent United States Grand Prix that “the bike is critical, but so am I”.

He is yet to score a grand prix podium in 2026, though does have a sprint win and a further sprint podium to his credit from the first three rounds.

Ducati, in general, appears a step behind Aprilia, who has won all three grands prix so far.

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However, in an interview with Italy’s Moto.it, Dovizioso is convinced Marquez is struggling more than it seems.

“Marc is not a rider who complains and has never made excuses,” he said.

“So, the truth about how he’s doing and how many problems he has, especially for those who don’t support him, has never been valued much.

“But his situation, in my opinion, is much more serious than it seems.

“Last year, he managed to win the championship. I couldn’t tell you what percentage, but he certainly wasn’t at 100%.

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“He still has a lot of physical improvements to do. And perhaps the fall in Indonesia has further increased this limitation in his [right] arm, which I believe has no solution.

“Austin was the definitive confirmation; in a place where he could have made a difference, he couldn’t.”

When Marquez suffered the shoulder injury in Indonesia, doctors confirmed that it did not aggravate the pre-existing injury to his right humerus he suffered in 2020.

Marquez now has an extended break to work on his shoulder recovery ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, after Qatar was postponed due to the war in Iran.

Dovizioso, who continues as a Yamaha test rider this year, was three-times a runner-up in the MotoGP standings to Marquez between 2017 and 2019.

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