Marc Marquez recovery “more important” than Valencia MotoGP test - Davide Tardozzi

The confirmation of Marc Marquez’s absence from the final two rounds of the 2025 MotoGP World Championship, and from the post-race test in Valencia, was surely a blow to Ducati, but its factory team’s boss Davide Tardozzi insists the Spaniard’s injury recovery is “more important”.

Marquez will miss the remainder of 2025 as a result of his continuing recovery from the shoulder injuries he sustained in the Indonesian Grand Prix when he was taken out by Marco Bezzecchi on the opening lap. It includes the first test of 2026 in Valencia two days after the final round of 2025, which is also the final official test before the Sepang test next February.

With the Sepang test scheduled for only around two weeks before the Buriram test that will conclude the preseason, and one month before the first round in Thailand, the Valencia test has particular importance to the MotoGP factories for their development direction for next year, and especially for Ducati given the difficulties in which Francesco Bagnaia has found himself in 2025 which have led to three point-less round in the last four, and the inconsistency which has blighted Fabio Di Giannantonio this year.

Given Marquez’s strength relative to Ducati’s other factory riders – the aforementioned Bagnaia and Di Giannantonio, as well as 2025 rookie Fermin Aldeguer who has ridden a 2024 Ducati this year  – his input on the development of the 2026 bike could deemed especially valuable, and therefore his absence from the Valencia test especially impactful to Ducati’s 2026 hopes.

However, Ducati Lenovo Team Manager Davide Tardozzi insists that it is more important for Marquez to properly recover from his shoulder injury before returning to riding a MotoGP bike than to ride at the Valencia test.

“It’s a shame that we can’t have Marc [marquez] there [at the Valencia test] but it’s more important that he recovers his injury 100 per cent,” Tardozzi said, speaking to the MotoGP world feed broadcast during FP1 in Sepang.

“So, we know very well Marc; we miss something having him not there, but we are sure that he will recover everything from the first test of 2026 here in Malaysia. 

“Having Marc has always a ‘plus’.”

Bulega to test at Jerez

Marquez has been replaced so far by Michele Pirro in his absence from the Ducati Lenovo Team box, but that is rumoured to change when MotoGP returns to Europe in November.

The Portuguese and Valencian grands prix will take place on 7–9 and 14–16 November, respectively, and Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider Nicolo Bulega has been suggested as a replacement for Marquez since the Spaniard’s absence from Portimao was confirmed during the Australian Grand Prix weekend.

Bulega himself has said, during the World Superbike finale in Jerez, that he would prefer to make a test on the Desmosedici GP before he races it.

In Australia, Mauro Grassilli said that this was being organised, and Italian publication GPOne has reported that it could happen during the WorldSBK Michelin tyre test in Jerez on 29–30 October.

This has now been supported, to an extent, by Tardozzi, who confirmed that a MotoGP test for Bulega before the end of the season would take place at Jerez, although with the condition that its organisation is not yet finalised.

“It’s something that we do because we want him [Bulega] to be confident with the bike because of his job of 2026 where he will help us to develop the new bike,” Tardozzi said of Bulega’s proposed test.

“So, having know-how about the 1,000cc bike is something that can help him in the future and then after the test we will decide what to do for the next two races.”

Tardozzi added: “The test will be in Jerez. It’s something that we would like to do it. 

“We are still discussing with him, but it’s something that we think could be better. Everything will be decided after this race [Malaysian Grand Prix].”