Hodgson expresses concern for Marquez after disappointing Austin performance
Neil Hodgson has raised concerns about Marc Marquez after the Gresini Ducati rider lost more ground to the leading Aprilia duo at the United States Grand Prix.
Once again, Maverick Vinales and Jorge Martin were a step ahead of the rest of the grid, while Marquez crossed the line in fifth place at a circuit where he has previously been so dominant.
Coming off his Sprint race win in Brazil, many saw this weekend as a chance for Marquez to build momentum, especially given his seven prior victories at COTA. But things didn’t go as planned.
An early crash during practice set him back despite finishing Friday on top of the timesheets. In qualifying, he found himself behind Francesco Bagnaia – a rare sight during their time together on Ducati machinery.
A collision with Fabio Di Giannantonio in the Sprint left him without points and handed him a long-lap penalty for Sunday’s race. Although he dropped to 11th after serving it, he managed to fight back into the top five and was satisfied with that recovery.
Neil Hodgson is not convinced by Marc Marquez’s fitness despite denials
Marquez lost ground after an early exchange with Di Giannantonio, and TNT Sports pundit Hodgson called his racecraft “desperate” after an aggressive move into Turn 1 let the VR46 rider reclaim the position on the run down the hill.
Kevin Schwantz commented that Marquez still appears to be “banged up,” but Marquez himself has said that he didn’t worsen his shoulder injury in the practice crash. The injury had already forced him to miss four rounds of last season after surgery, and he wasn’t fully recovered when this season began.
“Marc does not look comfortable at all,” Hodgson added. “He looks a bit awkward on there. It was a bit of a desperate move [on Di Giannantonio]. He’s holding his teammate up now.”
Hodgson went on: “We see him pre-race, messing around with his shoulder. It’s not right. It’s the most physical track.”
Marc Marquez faces an unfamiliar challenge in the 2025 MotoGP title race
Heading into the weekend, former teammate Dani Pedrosa pointed out that Marquez is in unfamiliar territory this season. In each of his previous title-winning campaigns, he had already claimed a victory within the first three rounds.
If Marquez is still dealing with fitness issues, the extended break before Jerez—due to the postponement of the Qatar GP—could give him valuable time to recover.
Marquez has always been known for getting more out of his bike than others with similar equipment. While injury may be a factor this year, it’s not the sole reason for his slower start.
Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola recently said that we haven’t seen the ‘real’ Marquez yet this season. But as Aprilia continue their strong form, there’s growing anticipation about when or if Marquez will hit top gear.
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