MotoGP's French Grand Prix weekend has not started well for Marc Marquez, and his struggles seem to be deepening with every round this season, despite flashes of brilliance here and there. He could secure only 13th in opening practice, making it the first time Marquez failed to directly make it to Q2 in 2026.

The No. 93 Factory Ducati rider, a four-time race winner at Le Mans, insisted that he is the one struggling, not the bike. That seems to be getting clearer with each round this season. It seems as if the effects of his shoulder injury are affecting him.

In an interaction with reporters after the race, he stuck to the same introspective themes in his answers, while also adding that he isn’t riding front-heavy as he usually does.

"We struggled a bit. It's not the best thing to be in Q1, but we couldn't have been faster today," Marc Marquez said (via Crash.net). "The bike is pretty good, it's easy to ride, and that's the most important thing. No one said it would be easy after the injury."

"We're working to try to get back to last year's level. I don't know if it's the same as last year, but it's close. I'm not pushing the front as usual, I'm not riding hard, pushing the front tyre. Let's see if I can do that. It’s not that the others are faster; it’s that I’m slower," Marquez added.

When asked about the chances of making it to Q2 had there been no yellow flags, which was brought out by factory Ducati team-mate Francesco Bagnaia's crash, he stated that it wouldn’t have mattered. Marquez feels that he would have clocked a faster lap sooner or later if he had the pace.

Unfortunately, his three teammates were in the Top 4 while he languished in 13th. Moreover, keen eyes would have also noticed a differentiator between Marquez's Ducati and the others.

Marc Marquez is sticking to what he knows

In the practice session, Marc Marquez, who has yet to secure a podium this season, was seen using a slightly different aero package compared to the rest of the Ducati riders. While the front wings were the same, the side fairings on the No.93 bike appeared to be GP25-spec units.

Given Marquez’s comments on not finding consistency, the team feels that going back to a tried-and-tested formula could help bring some of his groove back. He also explained that the team chose this setup due to his smaller stature and a distinctive riding style.

"We decided on this with Ducati because, according to the engineers, given my physical build, this fairing is better for me," he said (via GPOne.com). "Bagnaia, Diggia (Fabio Di Giannantonio), and Alex are taller than me, but the fairing does a similar job. Ultimately, the bike’s handling is the same because the two fairings work in the same way."

Will reverting to an old formula work in Marquez’s favour? We'll find out in the Qualifying rounds soon!

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Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Yask Kotak