Neil Hodgson column: Marc Marquez is fit again - but is he back to his best at Grand Prix Italy?
By Neil Hodgson
Updated 29/05/2026 at 13:41 GMT+1
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Neil Hodgson thinks that Ducati Lenovo rider Marc Marquez could be back to his best if he is really at full fitness after his recent surgery.
Highlights: Di Giannantonio wins Grand Prix Catalunya as Marquez suffers huge crash
Video credit: TNT Sports
Neil Hodgson is providing expert insight to TNT Sports throughout the MotoGP season.
In his latest column, he shares his thought-processes around Marc Marquez's return after surgery.
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After an extremely difficult Grand Prix at Barcelona, MotoGP is back at one of the finest tracks of the season. And this weekend Marc Marquez has returned - and he looks like a changed man.
Even looking at him in the paddock, it seems that way. The change in his manner can only suggest that what he was saying about the problems with his shoulder is the truth.
I was not totally sure if, after last year's bad crash in Indonesia, that the shoulder was not only a problem but that it was never going to be right and I started feeling sorry for him.
Now, it seems like they’ve rectified the problem and taken the broken screw out and it sounds like they’ve not had to do much damage to do that, not cut much muscle. It looks like he has a genuine smile on his face and a little bit of swagger.
It's as if he knows he’s going to be alright. It’s crazy to think not only could Marc Marquez be back but battling at the front.
We might even see the Marc Marquez from last year. Of course, it’s early days but the signs are there that we might have a real tussle for the title on our hands.
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'He's supremely fit' - Crutchlow makes return to MotoGP at Grand Prix Italy
Video credit: TNT Sports
As for Aprilia’s problems last time out, that was really confusing. The team had such a strong end to last year and the start to this year has been really dominant.
I think they just had one of those messy weekends where things didn’t go for them. Everything is so close at the moment - a second between first and 20th - that being a fraction off really costs you.
Jorge Martin crashed five times over the weekend. That’s never going to help. Marco Bezzecchi started well and crashed early on and looked like he lost a bit of feeling and confidence.
If they struggle again, that could upend how we see this season all over again. This is a track the Aprilia should work well on. This has been the home of Ducati, so it’s intriguing, it’s hard to predict how it will pan out.
We went to different tracks - hot, cold, fast, slow - and it seemed that the Aprilia is the bike. Then we went to a track where Aprilia has always gone well in the past and they struggled. It was a head-scratcher.
That’s what I love about MotoGP at the moment. Sometimes, when you think you know what’s going to happen, there’s a different outcome. That is the great unknown of MotoGP.
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'We've got another crash' - Zarco and others crash at Grand Prix Catalunya
Video credit: TNT Sports
When you think about it, in the race, Joan Mir is up there at random, Fermin Aldeguer who broke his femur at the start of the year. Fabio Di Giannantonio had only ever won one MotoGP race in his career. It was such an unexpected situation at the end of that Barcelona race. That makes it really interesting.
Zarco unfortunate but riders take crashes in their stride
I feel desperately sorry for what Johann Zarco went through with his accident, and it’s still not clear when we can expect him back on track.
They’ve still not operated on his knee, because he’s got quite bad burns. When his leg was trapped, that’s where the exhaust pipes go, so his poor leg was trapped in that bike, lent against an exhaust pipe. So, of course, he has quite bad burns. It doesn’t sound great, but everyone will be hoping to see him back and competing as soon as he’s ready.
During the day of the crash, a lot of the journalists were complaining about anything and everything they could. But when you look back, yes, we were lucky but it’s testament to how much work has been put into making the track as safe as you possibly can. Inevitably, you can't help bike-on-bike collisions and both of the incidents were that.
- Marquez out of Italy and Hungary races after undergoing surgery
- Martin taken to hospital after yet another crash during Catalunya test
- Marquez to return from injury for Italian Grand Prix following surgery
Pedro Acosta had a technical issue and the second one was just a normal first corner crash with two or three stories. Zarco only sustained an injury because he got caught up with the bike. I think, looking back, it shows we’ve come a long way. There’s always room for improvement.
It’s not different to anyone driving at home. Nobody gets behind the wheel of a car and thinks today I might have an accident. You never think that because you never think it’ll happen to you.
It’s the same when you’re racing bikes. You’re well aware that people can get seriously injured and, over the years people have lost their life in this sport, but it’s never going to happen to you, so you just crack on. It’s as simple as that. If you thought otherwise, you wouldn’t be riding bikes.
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'The impact must have been from Alex behind' - Acosta guided back to pit after Marquez crash
Video credit: TNT Sports
Marquez among four favourites at Mugello
Last year, Marquez was so dominant. But for this weekend, I’m going to say Bezzecchi will bounce back here and put his title challenge back on track. Di Giannantonio always does well here and Jorge Martin could be strong.
However, we simply cannot ignore that Marquez is back. Marc would not be riding if he thought he wasn’t ready and would settle for eighth. It’s not his style. He must know he’s strong enough to fight at the front, so let’s put his name into the hat.
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'Marc hasn't got the strength' - Hodgson analyses huge Marquez crash at Grand Prix France
Video credit: TNT Sports
Mugello one of the great tracks
Mugello is a magnificent track and in an even better location. It’s a highlight of the season.
It wouldn’t be built now. We are situated in the middle of this gorgeous Tuscan valley. Wineries are all around and we’ve got this race track right in the middle. It wouldn't be allowed to be built now. It’s so picturesque. It's so beautiful.
From day one of construction, they haven’t changed one corner. They’ve just got it right. There’s a long start-finish straight ahead of a fast first corner, it creates slipstreams for big groups and then it just flows up and down this beautiful valley.
It’s unreal, as good as it gets, and we could have a great weekend ahead.
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