P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Marc Marquez will qualify for MotoGP’s new injury test rule, but might not be able to use it.
Marc Marquez, the newly crowned MotoGP champion, may not be able to utilize the new ‘injured rider’ test rule until his return to competition in 2026, following a shoulder fracture sustained in a Mandalika collision caused by Marco Bezzecchi.
Missing the upcoming Portuguese Grand Prix will mark Marquez’s third consecutive absence, rendering him eligible for the one-day fitness test designed for sidelined riders.
Introduced this season by Aprilia’s proposal, the regulation permits injured riders away for at least three events or 45 days to undergo a private test to evaluate their readiness to rejoin MotoGP, albeit this test is optional.
Though Jorge Martin has already taken advantage of this rule, completing a test on an RS-GP at Misano before rejoining the grid, Marquez may face logistical challenges due to the specific restrictions on when and where the injury test can be held.
Given the narrow window for the test in 2025 and the subsequent winter test ban for riders, Marquez might opt to assess his fitness on a Panigale Superbike in January and only ride a Desmosedici during the Official Sepang test before the 2026 season begins.
