MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez will not race again in 2025

Ducati has announced that reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez will not race again this season as a result of the shoulder injury he suffered at the Indonesian Grand Prix.

The 32-year-old was taken out of the Mandalika race on the opening lap following a collision with Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi.

The crash resulted in Marc Marquez suffering a fracture and ligament damage to his right shoulder, which initially didn’t require surgery following checks by doctors in Madrid on the Monday after the Indonesian Grand Prix.

However, a week later, his doctors put him in for surgery as the injury was not healing as expected.

This ruled him out for the Australian and Malaysian Grand Prix, while it looked highly unlikely that he would be returning for the Portuguese Grand Prix.

Ducati has now confirmed seven-time MotoGP champion Marquez will not be seen on track again in 2025 as he will need to “spend four weeks with the arm completely immobilised before beginning rehabilitation”, according to the team.

The Italian marque has also confirmed that Marquez’s “clinical evolution of the coracoid fracture and the ligament injury is positive and proceeding as normal”.

“Analysing the entire situation, we believe that the most appropriate, clever and consistent course of action is to respect the biological timing of the injury, even if that means I will no longer be able to race this season or attend the testing session,” Marquez said.

“We know that a difficult winter awaits us, with a lot of work, to recover my muscles to 100% and be ready for 2026.

“This must not overshadow or make us forget the great goal we achieved this year: becoming world champions again, and soon we will all celebrate it together.

“Thank you to all the fans for kindly messages, to Ducati and all the sponsors for their support and understanding.”

Marquez’s absence comes as a big blow for Ducati’s initial testing of its 2026 bike in Valencia next month, though general manager Gigi Dall’Igna “fully supports” the doctors’ decision.

“Since we learned about the injury diagnosis, we knew the chances of having Marc in Valencia for the grand prix and the test were very low.

“It's a shame because it's very important for us to have him on track, but we know perfectly that the priority is to recover and return 100% fit for the next season.

“We fully support the decision and are convinced that not taking further risks is the best choice for everyone. We wish him a speedy recovery and we hope to see him back with us soon".

No decision on Marquez replacement for the final two rounds

Ducati is currently employing the services of test rider Michele Pirro to stand in for Marquez at the factory squad this weekend in Malaysia.

However, the team says it “will announce in due course” who will fill in for Marquez in Portugal and Valencia.

Speculation continues to mount that World Superbike championship runner-up Nicolo Bulega will get the nod.