Marc Marquez sees the 2026 MotoGP title as an opportunity he now controls himself. After topping Friday Practice at Sepang, the Ducati rider made clear that Jorge Martin’s injury is not changing his approach to the Malaysian Grand Prix. If he completes the job, the championship would become Marquez’s eighth world title.

Aprilia rider Martin fractured his wrist in a crash during the Australian Grand Prix sprint, where he was battling Marquez for victory. That injury left Marquez with a 10-point advantage, while Sunday’s Australian race was cancelled because of poor weather. Martin was cleared to ride in Malaysia, but withdrew from Friday afternoon’s Practice, leaving his participation for the remainder of the weekend uncertain.

Marquez said he was trying to get as close as possible to a 37-point target and highlighted Ducati’s form at Sepang with Alex Marquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio. He is not treating the standings as settled. Earlier in the season, Marquez had been as much as 102 points behind Martin, and he pointed to Assen and Mandalika as reminders that the balance can shift during a single weekend.

Why Marquez is wary of a rapid return

Marquez did not want to go into detail about Martin’s condition, but said MotoGP’s medical protocol had done nothing wrong by clearing the Aprilia rider to compete. He also stressed how serious Martin’s own description sounded: on Thursday, Martin said he could not even brush his teeth with his injured right hand. Marquez added that, if the fracture was complete, Martin had already pushed the situation too far by riding.

That caution is rooted in Marquez’s own injury history. In 2020, he was cleared to return only days after breaking his right arm at Jerez, then suffered further damage that extended his recovery. The experience has made him more guarded about quick comebacks, even while the current championship gives him a major incentive to keep pressing at Sepang.