That\u2019s the key takeaway after the 33-year-old laboured through a loud \u2013 for drama \u2013 and quiet \u2013 for results \u2013 three days at his beloved Circuit of the Americas last weekend, where the seven-time Grand Prix of the Americas winner qualified just sixth before finishing 17th in the sprint and fifth in the Grand Prix proper to slip to fifth in the world championship standings. <\/p>\n
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Elsewhere in Texas, an ex-Marquez teammate continued a torrid run of crashes and non-finishes that couldn\u2019t be timed worse with contracts for 2027 up for grabs, while a former giant is looking to load up with two more bikes for the first year of the biggest regulation shake-up in the sport for well over a decade. <\/p>\n
There\u2019s that and more in MotoGP Pit Talk, your news wrap of the stories behind the headlines ahead of the next round at Jerez in Spain from April 24-26. <\/p>\n
Marquez takes out Diggia in opening lap | 00:23<\/p>\n
MARQUEZ TAKES THE BLAME AS DEFICIT REACHES UNCHARTED TERRITORY<\/p>\n
Marc Marquez has pointed the finger at himself \u2013 not his Ducati GP26 machine \u2013 after a fraught weekend in Austin, a circuit where he took his maiden MotoGP win in 2013 and has barely stopped winning since, save for self-inflicted wounds. <\/p>\n
MORE MOTOGP NEWS<\/p>\n
AUSSIE ANALYSIS<\/a> What young gun\u2019s rise means for Miller, and why it\u2019s not what you think<\/p>\n AUSTIN TALKING POINTS<\/a> Aussie bemoans lack of grunt, Italian joins roll call of legends<\/p>\n The Spaniard won every MotoGP race at COTA from 2013-18, then crashed from the lead in 2019, 2024 and 2025 after perhaps his most surprising success on US soil, when he won in 2021 as he was recovering from yet another surgery on his right shoulder damaged by his career-defining crash in the opening round of 2020 at Jerez. <\/p>\n Last weekend in Texas, Marquez was lucky to escape relatively unscathed from a monstrous 190km\/h crash in Friday practice.<\/p>\n He then crashed into the path of fellow Ducati rider and pole-sitter Fabio Di Giannantonio in Saturday\u2019s sprint and finished last<\/a>, and was issued a long-lap penalty for Sunday\u2019s 20-lap Grand Prix for causing the collision, which he admitted fault for. <\/p>\n Dropping to 11th after serving his penalty in the race, Marquez recovered to fifth<\/a> after winning a lengthy scrap against KTM\u2019s Enea Bastianini and factory Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia. <\/p>\n While Aprilia, with Marco Bezzecchi having won the past five Grands Prix while leading every lap<\/a>, has emerged as the bike to beat, Marquez says it\u2019s his body \u2013 still recovering from right shoulder surgery following last year\u2019s season-ending crash in the Indonesian Grand Prix in October \u2013 that is holding him back, not his machinery. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m missing \u2026 myself is missing, not the bike,\u201d he said after the race.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the first laps when the tyres are new, the bike becomes more aggressive and I can\u2019t ride at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI need to understand how to improve the first laps. I don\u2019t feel well on the bike. It looks like I get used to a position on the bike, not a natural position, and then I\u2019m just riding. I\u2019m still fast, but I cannot make the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n Marquez has scored fewer points than the 45 he\u2019s earned this season \u2013 where he has just one win, from the sprint race in Brazil \u2013 only once after three rounds in the seven previous seasons where he\u2019s won the MotoGP title, and has never been behind the championship leader by a bigger margin at this stage of a title-winning campaign. <\/p>\n Marquez after opening three rounds, championship seasons vs 2026<\/p>\n 2013: 61 points, led standings by 3 points, won title by 4 points<\/p>\n 2014: 75 points, led standings by 19 points, won title by 67 points<\/p>\n 2016: 82 points, led standings by 24 points, won title by 49 points<\/p>\n 2017: 38 points, third in standings (trailed Rossi by 18 points), won title by 37 points<\/p>\n 2018: 45 points, second in standings (trailed Dovizioso by 1 point), won title by 76 points<\/p>\n 2019: 45 points, fourth in standings (trailed Dovizioso by 9 points), won title by 151 points<\/p>\n 2025*: 86 points, second in standings (trailed A. Marquez by 1 point), won title by 78 points<\/p>\n 2026**: 45 points, fifth in standings, trails leader (Bezzecchi) by 36 points<\/p>\n (* – includes sprint races, ** current season)<\/p>\n Speaking after the Texas race to Sky Italia, Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi admitted his star rider is less than fully fit, but added the manufacturer needs to lift its performance. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you ask me for a percentage, I can\u2019t say, but I\u2019m sure he\u2019s not in good shape,\u201d Tardozzi said.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately what happened in Indonesia is still having consequences. He\u2019s not back to normal yet.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are still 19 [Grand Prix] races left so nothing is lost, even if it seems like we\u2019re playing catch-up right now. Aprilia has made a huge leap, hats off to them. But we have a chance to get back into the championship.<\/p>\n \u201cWe expect something from the engineers, we need to work on it and hope to bring something to the table as early as Jerez.\u201d<\/p>\n Bezzecchi\u2019s white-hot form – and Marquez\u2019s lingering injury woes – have combined to change the face of the first three rounds of 2026. (MotoGP Press)Source: Supplied<\/p>\n HONDA LOADS UP FOR 2027 SERIES REBOOT<\/p>\n With the 2027 rule changes front of mind<\/a> \u2013 and with 18 riders on this year\u2019s grid not having announced contracts for next season \u2013 Honda is moving to expand its presence on the grid, with reports from Europe linking the Tech3 team owned by former F1 team boss and cult hero Guenther Steiner to the Japanese manufacturer to expand Honda\u2019s presence to six bikes next year. <\/p>\n MORE MOTOGP NEWS<\/p>\n RACE REPORT<\/a> Italian continues roll with history-making victory in Texas<\/p>\n