Jorge Lorenzo: Marc Marquez less explosive now, but smarter than ever

Jorge Lorenzo believes Marc Marquez is no longer as “explosive” as he was early in his MotoGP career, but has matured to become the most intelligent rider on the grid.

Nine-time world champion Marquez faced another stern test of his resilience at the beginning of the 2026 season, as his latest shoulder injury left him struggling for consistency and facing a large deficit to Aprilia duo Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin.

But an additional surgery after Le Mans transformed his campaign, with three victories from the last four grands prix reigniting his title challenge.

Former Yamaha star Lorenzo believes Marquez may no longer possess the raw speed and aggression that characterised his dominant spell at Honda, but feels the Ducati rider is compensating for it with his increased mental strength.

“Marc’s historic comeback is incredible. From a deficit of over 100 points, he’s closed the gap to just 18,” Lorenzo told DAZN. “It’s a championship where you have to ride extremely fast, but you especially have to survive.

"What strikes me is how much he’s grown in intelligence and maturity. He falls much less. At Assen, which was probably the worst track for him, for the bike, and for his physical condition, he held on like a lion. At certain points in the race, he put enough pressure on Bezzecchi to force him into a mistake. 

“He’s no longer as explosive and dominant as he was 10 or 12 years ago, but he’s the most well-rounded and intelligent rider on the grid today.”

Jorge Lorenzo

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

Marquez started the 2026 season still recovering from the shoulder fracture he sustained at the Indonesian Grand Prix in October. The lingering effects of the injury compromised his trademark speed through left-hand corners, which had traditionally been one of his greatest strengths.

After his condition failed to improve naturally by Jerez in April, Marquez went under the knife again, showing an immediate improvement in performance when he returned to action in Mugello.

The 33-year-old still needs time to regain full fitness, but the summer shutdown should allow him to speed up his recovery.

Lorenzo believes Marquez’s performances will vary track to track in the second half of the season, but expects him to remain unbeatable at anti-clockwise circuits.

“We have to remember that most circuits consist mainly of right-hand turns. With this arm issue, the difference becomes more pronounced,” the five-time world champion, who was Marquez’s team-mate at Honda in 2019, explained.

“Marc struggles more than before on right-hand tracks, and this allows the others to close the gap to his level. 

“When racing on circuits with many left-hand turns, however, such as the Sachsenring, Phillip Island or Aragon, he fares much better. Physically, he can sustain the pace longer and doesn’t have to pace himself as much. That’s where he can make the difference thanks to his greatest strength, his spectacular corner entry on left-hand turns.”