Sawt Falasteen - Injury forces Marquez to adapt for MotoGP opener

The Spanish Ducati rider launches his bid for a record-equalling eighth world title this weekend in Buriram after dominating the competition last season.

He clinched the title with five events to spare, but his campaign was cut short when a shoulder injury forced him to miss the last four races of the season.

The 33-year-old said the injury was "not an easy one", and he is still feeling its effects, forcing him to change the setup of his bike until he returns to full fitness.

"I stepped back in the aerodynamics; one of the reasons is that I cannot ride the bike in the same way as last year at the moment," said Marquez.

"The 2025 aerodynamic was a little bit more heavy, more demanding for the physical condition

"I'm trying to adapt my riding style to what I have now in my physical condition," he added.

Marquez said his new setup was "working well but in a different way".

"One of my abilities is to adapt to what I have and what I need," he said.

"I will try one more time in my riding career to adapt my riding style to this new situation until I feel more ready."

Marquez capped a remarkable comeback from injury last year, winning his first championship since 2019 after a gruelling struggle that almost forced him to hang up his helmet.

He was in imperious form all season, winning 25 races, including sprints.

He said his latest injury would not change his objective for the new season.

"Let's see how we can manage the situation," he said.

"But the target, if you are wearing a red Ducati T-shirt, is to fight for the championship."

Marquez's nearest championship rival last season was his brother Alex Marquez.

The Gresini rider has made a strong start to the year, clocking the fastest times at the first pre-season test in Malaysia.

Alex Marquez said he was not reading too much into pre-season form.

"Not just after this race weekend but after three or four races we'll see where we are and for what we can fight this year," he said.

Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi was fastest in the second pre-season test, setting a new track record in Buriram.

P.Tamimi--SF-PST