‘I’ve suffered a lot’ - Marc Marquez says Hungary MotoGP win “too expensive”

Marc Marquez says his comeback MotoGP victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix was “too expensive” given the struggles he has come through with his shoulder injury.

The Ducati rider scored a first Sunday win of the 2026 season on Sunday at Balaton Park, completing a clean sweep following victory in the sprint.

It was Marc Marquez’s first grand prix win since Misano last year and the first in the wake of his serious right shoulder injury suffered in Indonesia, which required further surgery due to nerve issues a few weeks ago.

Marquez says it has been tough on him mentally to go through more injury setbacks in the wake of “riding the crest” from his 2025 title success.

“I mean, of course, another comeback,” he said on MotoGP’s After the Flag.

“The comeback is still not finished because we won, but it’s a left circuit.

“There was only three right corners with hard braking points, so this helped me to breathe.

“But it’s true today we did another comeback, we won again, we took 37 points, and this is something that I feel like… maybe this victory is too expensive, because since Indonesia I’ve suffered a lot.

“I already understood in 2020 that an athlete’s life can change from one day to the other.

“But to experience again when you are on the crest [of the wave] was hard on the physical side, but was harder on the mental side.

“We worked a lot, the first races were super hard. Now I’m a believer.

“I try to do my 100%. I need to try.

“I feel like still I’m far from my performance, from the way I want to ride. However, I’m still fast. Let’s see if we can continue, but now it’s time to enjoy this victory.”

Marquez’s win came after a thrilling battle with Pedro Acosta, as the pair diverged on tyre strategy, with the latter on soft and the Ducati rider on medium.

“The shoulder feels empty; when I overtook Acosta, I used a lot of energy there,” he added.

“It was a nice fight. I pushed two laps, then I said, ‘OK, now, how many laps?’ And there were still 10 to go.”

On his battle with Acosta, he continued: “You know, when a fighter meets another fighter, then the battle is there.

“We know Pedro, who is super aggressive, hard brake points. It was on the limit; we had like two or three contacts, but always with the correct space.

“On those changes of direction it’s super easy if you want to just cut the line. But we always gave the space.

“That was a nice fight. That was two laps. I think it was better two laps, because more - me or him - it would not have finished in a good way!”

Can Marc Marquez fight for the 2026 world title now?

Marquez’s win puts him 72 points behind championship leader Marco Bezzecchi, who was taken out on the opening lap by Aprilia team-mate Jorge Martin.

But he doesn’t feel he is ready enough to battle for the 2026 title.

“The championship is super long, but at the moment we are not in shape,” he said.

“I don’t feel that I’m ready to fight, honestly speaking. This weekend, yes.

“But at Mugello we were 10 seconds behind the leader. So, let’s see.

“It depends a lot on Brno and Assen, and then on the summer break. I still have to reach my new 100%. And from that point I will understand.

“But of course, you know me, if I’m here it’s to fight every race, every practice, and just I would like to enjoy it.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself during my career, and now I realise that, after all of what happened, I need to enjoy it and let’s be a bit easier on myself.

“Not the people: I understand that the people will [keep the pressure on me]. But me, I just want to be more relaxed, with the same intensity, but enjoying.”