{"id":725329,"date":"2026-06-09T14:45:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T14:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/725329\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T14:45:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T14:45:11","slug":"game-on-for-marc-marquez-if-im-here-its-to-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/725329\/","title":{"rendered":"Game on for Marc Marquez: \u201cIf I\u2019m here, it\u2019s to fight\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

There was never going to be any doubt that Ducati Lenovo Team\u2019s Marc Marquez<\/a> would ever lose his spark in his latest injury set back and in just his second round back, he\u2019s reminded everyone who is the reigning World Champion \u2013 as if they needed reminding anyway. A first Grand Prix win since Misano last season, the #93\u2019s quest for title #8 in MotoGP is back on track and the number of points he has to overcome, whilst being big, is not impossible.<\/p>\n

He arrived into the Hungarian GP<\/a> weekend at Balaton Park 102 points behind Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi<\/a> (Aprilia Racing). Bez\u2019s P3 on Saturday and DNF on Sunday coinciding with Marquez\u2019s double mean 30 points were immediately slashed out of the Italian\u2019s advantage over the #93. 72 points is still a huge task but don\u2019t forget, Marquez clinched the title in 2025 with five rounds to go, didn\u2019t score in the final five Grands Prix of the season and still held a 78-point gap over brother Alex Marquez<\/a> (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). For refence, the title-winning margin after the Japanese Grand Prix was 201. It\u2019s very much game on.<\/p>\n

“Championship is super long but we are not in the moment, we are not in that shape… I don’t feel that I’m ready to fight, honestly speaking,\u201d began Marquez about whether or not he is a contender. \u201cThis weekend yes but in Mugello we were 10 seconds behind the leader, so let’s see.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt depends a lot about Brno and Assen and then on the summer break. I still need to reach my new 100%. I will not say my 100% but I need to reach my new 100% and from that point I’ll understand. But of course, you know me: if I’m here, it\u2019s to fight: every race, every practice and just… I would like to enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marquez in title contention seems a given if you ask his rivals: Bezzecchi and teammate Jorge Martin<\/a> both said on his comeback in Italy that if he\u2019s here, it\u2019s to win, as did teammate Francesco Bagnaia<\/a>, who knows his tenacity all too well. Marquez himself will be acutely aware of Bagnaia\u2019s own comeback and achievement too, taking the 2022 title after being as far back as 91 points to Fabio Quartararo<\/a>. And then there\u2019s other remarkable comebacks too: the final Grand Prix shootout of 2006 which welcomed Nicky Hayden as Champion.<\/p>\n

Davide Tardozzi, Ducati Lenovo Team manager, shared his thoughts on Marquez\u2019s first win in 9 months and what it can mean going forward: \u201cIt feels very good; we were looking forward to this day since the beginning of the season. We\u2019re happy to have it now, when Marc is growing to get back to 100% of his body health.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked about the atmosphere in the box, one word summed it up: \u201cPerfect! Three podiums in a row for Pecco and back to winning for Marc. He did everything here: pole position and lap record on Saturday, lap record and win on Sunday. For Marc, it\u2019s a dream because we perfectly know and he knows that he is not 100% but, in the end, he\u2019s the Champion that we know and sometimes, he likes to surprise us.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main thing is to take each race from one to the other and be sure that Marc will be back 100% on the body side, as this is the main issue for us. Obviously, we know that when he\u2019s perfect, he\u2019s one of the top guys. We have a lot of respect to the opponents that are leading the Championship and that they were unlucky this weekend. To recover 30 points like we did here at Balaton Park is not normal and we perfectly know that from the next race, they\u2019ll be tough to beat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking at the bigger picture and the injury-hit few months he\u2019s endured \u2013 beginning just a week after one of sport\u2019s greatest comebacks \u2013 Marc rounded off by saying: \u201cI’ve put a lot of pressure in myself during all my career and now I realise that after all what happened, I need to enjoy and let’s be a bit easier to myself. I want to be more relaxed with same intensity but try to enjoy.”<\/p>\n

Do YOU think Marc Marquez will walk away with the Tower of Champions again?<\/p>\n

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