It was an endless day for Marc Márquez in Madrid: between interviews, fans, photos with the trophy (the replica) and the red helmet celebrating his ninth World Championship, the Spaniard concluded his tour at the microphones of El Larguero (Cadena SER). Forty-five minutes of freewheeling chat: from the shoulder injury to the winter of recovery, from the relationship with his brother Álex to the "non-relationship" with Rossi, from the Sepang tests to the 2027 rebus. An outspoken, self-deprecating Marc, already with his mind on rehabilitation.
"They took off my brace yesterday."
"The shoulder is better. Just yesterday they took off my brace. It was party time in Madrid, but I asked the doctors to check if I could take it off. We did the CT scan, everything is fine. It would have made no sense to come here with my arm free and then put the brace back on tomorrow. For now, if I do anything more intense, I use a light bandage. In two weeks I'll have a follow-up X-ray and we will continue."
Regarding the rumours about the "bent screw", he shook his head, "Nope. When I crashed in Indonesia, my physio - Carlos García, the one who has always followed me - saw two screws in the X-ray, but they were old, from a previous operation. One bent back in 2020, when I broke my humerus at Jerez. I raced like that for years. The important thing is to adapt and let the results speak for themselves, not the arm. And in 2025 it was all about the results, finally."
"How many screws do I have? No idea, in this arm about 20, more or less. One plate in the back, one in the front, two screws here and a new one. But no, I don't play metal detectors (laughs). And I won't take them off: if they don't bother me, they are staying there. They are a career souvenir."
"At Valencia it wasn't worth the risk."
"I would have liked to race at Valencia to say goodbye, but it didn't make sense. The risk was high and I wouldn't have gained anything for 2026. Sometimes you have to use your head, even if your heart says otherwise."
"A champion is selfish? No, but he becomes one."
"Selfishness comes with the trade," Marc admits. "If you really want to achieve certain goals, a little bit you have to be. We had planned with my partner a trip to the Seychelles for early December, but it fell through. She understood that, she forgave me. When you are an athlete, your world revolves around your priority of the moment - and right now the priority is to recover. Without stopping to enjoy an incredible year like this, though."
"For my brother, I would trade a title."
When asked if he would trade one of his titles for a MotoGP World Championship won by Álex, he doesn't hesitate : "Absolutely. And if he earns it in 2026, all the better. I will defend the colors of the official Ducati team, he will defend the colors of Gresini, but we will continue to work together as always. It's the best way for both of us to improve."
"With Rossi? Everyone goes their own way."
"Rossi obsessed? Everyone sees things his own way. I don't stand there and look back. If I win the 10th World Championship, I don't think he cares, and frankly, I don't care. I focus on who brings me value. If we would meet? No, we wouldn't say hello. He doesn't need me and I don't need him. But motorcycle racing, that does, it needs both of us."
"At Sepang I will be there (almost) for sure."
"At Sepang I should be there, 90 percent, barring any surprises. All that is needed now is patience. The next three weeks will be decisive: the bone has to finish welding, the ligaments to solidify. I may not be 100 percent, but the goal is to be on track."
"Calm and intuition are needed for 2027."
"Right now I can't make any decisions: I'm injured and prefer to wait. But the market moves soon and in 2027 the regulations change, so you have to think hard. No one can guarantee you which bike will be the best. It is a challenge, a risk, but also an opportunity. We will calmly evaluate everything and choose the right project for me."