Marc Márquez out in Barcelona as Tv Guide tracks Ducati lineup
tv guide: Marc Márquez will miss the Ducati Lenovo Team lineup at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after double surgery on his right foot and shoulder in Madrid. Aprilia Racing arrives after a Le Mans weekend that ended with Jorge Martín, Marco Bezzecchi and Ai Ogura sweeping the podium, while the Catalan round is followed by Monday testing on the same track.
Barcelona Without Márquez
Marc Márquez’s absence is the sharpest lineup change in Barcelona. The Ducati rider is recovering in Madrid after a high-side in the Sprint at Le Mans, leaving Pecco Bagnaia to carry Ducati’s recent momentum into a circuit where the Italian brand has won six times: in 2003, 2007, 2017, 2018, 2024 and 2025.
The setup in Catalonia is not a generic stop on the calendar. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is 4.66 km long, with 8 right-handed turns and 6 left-handers, and its first braking section is among the most demanding in the championship because of the 1,047 metres leading up to it. That profile puts a premium on a stable front end and clean braking, which is exactly where teams tend to learn whether last weekend’s pace translates here.
Aprilia After Le Mans
Jorge Martín and Marco Bezzecchi come in with leverage from Le Mans, where Martín won both the sprint race and the long race 588 days after his previous victory. Bezzecchi was on the podium in both races, and Ai Ogura added to Aprilia Racing’s one-two-three finish on Sunday. That result gives Aprilia something concrete to validate at a circuit that rewards handling precision more than raw noise.
Martín said, “I’m extremely pleased about how things are going. Barcelona is a challenging track, and it was particularly difficult for us last year. The goal will therefore be to work hard to figure out which changes to make so we can be as competitive as possible.” Bezzecchi was just as direct: “It’s great to be back in Barcelona and, above all, to have two race weekends in a row, because I really can’t wait to get back on track. It’s a fantastic circuit and the fans are always incredibly passionate, so we’ll try to give our best.”
Monday Testing in Catalonia
The second official tests of the season are scheduled for Monday on the Catalan track, so the Barcelona weekend is doing double duty: one race result, then immediate data collection. For Ducati, that means evaluating how much Bagnaia’s pace can offset Márquez’s absence; for Aprilia, it means turning a strong Le Mans into repeatable speed on a circuit where the first braking zone can expose weak points fast.
Bagnaia’s own note from Ducati fits the pressure point here: “Considering how the weekend ended in France, I’m happy to get back on track. Barcelona is a track that has always brought out the best of the Desmosedici GP. I’ll take all the positives from Le Mans: we were fast right from the start, always in touch with the strongest riders, even takin” The practical read for Barcelona is simple enough — Ducati has the history, Aprilia has the form, and Monday’s test will show which one carries further into the season.
