Marc Marquez has admitted that he deliberately posted a photo depicting the state of his right shoulder, explaining he wanted to put an end to “tiring” questions about his fitness.
Although the reigning MotoGP champion had shied away from opening up about his injuries in recent races, he caught the attention of the entire paddock with a shirtless photo on Instagram that showed the loss of muscle mass in his right shoulder following multiple surgeries.
Confirming speculation that it was not simply a random photo shared as part of a larger gallery from the Aragon weekend, Marquez admitted that the move was in fact strategic.
Having grown tired of repeated questions about his arm and how it was affecting his performance on track, the Ducati rider said he came up with an idea that would clearly demonstrate the difference between his two arms.
“In Silverstone, I didn't speak about my arm, but then Ducati did its job and in the Inside [Ducati behind-the-scenes series], I was talking about the arm.
“I also heard that I was angry. No, I wasn't angry because it's like content that the fans really like.
“But then, in Aragon, [there] were again questions about my arm. I said already that I was tired of answering.
“Then, after Aragon GP, I said to my team I want to find a solution, and then we found the correct way. Well, I found it because it was my idea.
“They always give me feedback, but it's something very personal, and then it's the best way to stop the questions about my physical condition.
“It is like it is. I still am enjoying it, I still feel competitive and with what I have I try to do my maximum every weekend.”
Marquez’s right shoulder was severely injured again in October last year, when he was hit by Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi at the start of the Indonesian GP.
He has since undergone two operations to fix the injury but continues to lack outright muscle strength, compromising his performance on track.
Having accepted that he is not operating at the same level as in his title-winning 2025 campaign, Marquez said he wants to divert his attention to his championship challenge instead of dwelling on concerns about his fitness.
“The questions about my arm were taking some energy from me,” he said. “So, if I want to fight for this championship I need to have my energy and full focus on the track.
“It was my strategy and like this I'm more relaxed, and when you ask questions about my arm, I will say I already answered after Aragon and I will not add anything.”
