Marc Marquez had a difficult time in Austin, struggling to keep pace after a series of crashes and collisions.
COTA has typically been a strong circuit for the Spaniard, but in 2026, he couldn’t get things working. After a heavy crash during practice, Marquez needed a bandage on his right forearm.
He topped that session despite the setback, though things didn’t improve from there. He qualified sixth and was outqualified by Francesco Bagnaia, and his Sprint race ended early after just one lap.
At turn 12, Marquez collided with Fabio Di Giannantonio and picked up a long lap penalty for it. He accepted responsibility for the incident. The penalty further limited his chances of achieving a strong result as he continued to deal with the lingering effects of his shoulder injury from 2025.
Marc Marquez tells Davide Tardozzi he’s ‘struggling’ after US GP
After taking the long lap penalty, Marquez managed to salvage P5, following a strong battle with Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini. In the post-race debrief, he admitted his struggles to Davide Tardozzi.
Ducati’s official YouTube channel detailed the exchange between the two, with Tardozzi saying: “From when you overtook Fermin to when you arrived to Pecco and Enea, you gained eight tenths on Bezzecchi.”
Marquez then gave his assessment: “Yes, I was going fast there, I felt really good. In the end too I could have continued like this with this pace.
“If I didn’t waste time there by overtaking Pecco and Enea, I could have caught Diggia. The bike is critical but so am I. I’m struggling.
“The bike is definitely one point but I’m another point because rewatching Thailand and Brazil if we get right the first three laps we’re in for the win.”
Marc Marquez admitted to Davide Tardozzi that he was struggling after the United States GP
After serving his long lap penalty, Marquez fought back to finish fifth, engaging in a tight race with Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini. During the post-race debrief, he shared his concerns with Tardozzi.
Ducati’s official YouTube channel recorded the exchange, with Tardozzi noting: “From when you overtook Fermin to when you arrived to Pecco and Enea, you gained eight tenths on Bezzecchi.”
Marquez responded: “Yes, I was going fast there, I felt really good. In the end too, I could have continued like this with this pace.
“If I didn’t waste time there, by overtaking Pecco and Enea, I could have caught Diggia. The bike is critical but so am I. I’m struggling.
“The bike is definitely one point but I’m another point. Because I rewatched the races of Thailand and Brazil if I get the first three laps right we’re in for the win.”
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