Tearful Marc Marquez tells Ducati: “I’m riding with one and a half arms”

An emotional Marc Marquez broke down while informing his Ducati team about the “secret” nerve problem that has been costing him “half-a-second” a lap in MotoGP this season.

The reigning MotoGP champion made the admission shortly after breaking a bone in his foot during a huge Sprint highside at Le Mans on Saturday.

Declared unfit due to the foot injury, Marquez then revealed he was already planning to undergo surgery on his shoulder.

That operation was then brought forward to coincide with the foot surgery.

After filming team-mate Pecco Bagnaia’s Sprint podium celebrations, the latest Inside Ducati YouTube video cuts to the Ducati garage, where Marquez is surrounded by team members including Gigi Dall’Igna and crew chief Marco Rigamonti.

“I didn’t say anything…” Marc Marquez begins, before pausing as his emotions get the better of him.

“I’m riding with one and a half arms"

A tearful Marquez continues: “There’s a screw that’s giving me nerve problems. On and off.”

Told “at least you understand the problem”, Marquez replies:

“Yes, but I understood this was happening to me. You can’t ride a motorbike… On and off. I knew this was happening.

“That’s why the operation was already scheduled after the Catalunya GP.

“I’m riding with one and a half arms.

“They have to remove a broken screw that during the crash in Indonesia [2025]… They saw it moved.

“After Jerez, I went for a check-up. I felt something was wrong. When I get into the riding position, that broken screw… After Indonesia, it moved and touches the nerve.

“[It’s] the nerve I use for three fingers and the whole [right] arm.

“It takes away my strength. 

"Yesterday, in the time attack, you asked me what happened in that corner. I knew what happened in that corner...

“And today too. For a few laps, everything is fine… A few laps later, not so.”

"I’m lapping half a second from my limits"

Just a few hours before his massive Sprint accident, Marquez had stunned the team by breaking the Le Mans lap record in Qualifying 1.

“I have nothing to prove. I can go fast. Today I was fast in Q1!” says Marquez, finally breaking into a smile.

“I can go fast. The problem is I’m lapping half a second from my limits.”

“There have been crashes where I don’t understand why. I’m not pushing. I’m not at the limit.

“In Jerez [Grand Prix], I entered the fast corner, and I lost the front. I can’t push the bike.”

Marquez's Indonesian accident occurred when he was clipped by Marco Bezzecchi on the opening lap of last year's grand prix.

The nine-time world champion has taken two Sprint wins this season, but hasn't finished on a Sunday podium.

He arrived in France only fifth in the world championship and already 44-points behind leader Bezzecchi.

“I asked to keep it a secret"

Ducati Corse general manager Dall’Igna tells Marquez that surgery is the right thing to do and that his health comes first.

“I asked to keep it a secret,” Marquez says to Dall’Igna. “I wanted to go through the weekend without thinking about it or having questions about it.

“But it’s true that this [arm] isn’t working. You can see it on the data.”

Marquez underwent surgery the following day, where doctors removed two damaged screws and a bone fragment from a previous 2019 injury that was causing the compression of his radial nerve.

The Spaniard will miss this weekend's Catalunya round when Bagnaia will ride alone for the Ducati Lenovo team.