Marc Marquez “age” warning given by former MotoGP rival

Jorge Lorenzo warns that “nothing is forever” as Marc Marquez goes into the 2026 MotoGP preseason trying to defend his title against a growing list of rivals.

32-year-old Marc Marquez became MotoGP’s oldest champion, of the four-stroke era, in 2025, and ended the season with a shoulder injury that will mean the Sepang test next February will be his first time on a MotoGP bike in around three months from the Indonesian Grand Prix in October.

Marquez’s absence also saw the rise of Aprilia, as Marco Bezzecchi won the final two races in a row and Raul Fernandez won in Australia.

But it’s the age factor that Jorge Lorenzo, the only rider to beat Marquez to a title before his right humerus injury in 2020, thinks will be the biggest challenge for the Ducati Lenovo Team rider to overcome in the coming years.

“The future you can never know,” said Lorenzo, speaking to the MotoGP world feed broadcast during the Valencia test.

“[Nobody] can know because otherwise we will all win the lottery. So, it’s very difficult.

“Always you can [have] some surprises, like this year Alex Marquez and Bezzecchi with Aprilia; also some disappointments. 

“But I think Marc Marquez now is 32, he will be 33, he will be 34 in 2027. 

“So, little-by-little, the age is affecting you negatively: you start losing reflexes little-by-little; you start losing risk when the situation is complicated on the track; and the young riders are coming very strong. 

“Pedro [Acosta] will be stronger; Martin, Bezzecchi, and Bagnaia are 27, 28, so are in the best age possible. 

“So, little-by-little, Marc, in the future, will struggle [with] the age thing as all the sportsmen in history [did], in all sports. Nothing is forever.”

Despite Marquez’s age, Lorenzo - who has confirmed a deal to work with Maverick Vinales in 2026 - has no doubts about his potential in the present moment.

“For the moment, he’s [Marquez] the most complete rider; let’s see this injury, very long injury, how it will affect. 

“But I see Aprilia and Bezzecchi very strong, Aprilia is unbelievable, it’s a very compact bike, very stable – has not a weak point at this moment. 

“I think it’s, if not at the same level as Ducati, maybe a little bit stronger now. 

“Aprilia is very strong, Alex [Marquez] is there, so I think for Marc – theoretically – it should be more difficult to have as much victories as this year [in 2026].”