Marc Marquez underwent a successful double surgery on his right foot and shoulder in Madrid, following his violent Le Mans MotoGP crash.
The eight-time premier class champion suffered a harrowing highside during sprint race, sustaining injuries that forced him to withdraw from Sunday’s French Grand Prix and the upcoming Catalan MotoGP.
The incident unfolded on the penultimate lap of Saturday’s Le Mans sprint race where Marquez was battling fiercely to claw back positions from seventh, but his Ducati snapped upright at Turn 13 right-hander, sending the Spaniard crashing heavily onto the Bugatti Circuit’s unforgiving asphalt.
Initial medical assessments at the circuit revealed a fracture to the fifth metatarsal in Marquez’s right foot, a painful injury that immediately ruled him out of the grand prix.
Despite the pain, the rider demonstrated his characteristic resilience by flying back to Spain overnight for an urgent dual surgery at the renowned Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid under the care of a team led by Dr. Samuel Antuña.
Ducati’s official statement confirmed the surgeries were successful, with the foot fracture stabilized and a pre-planned shoulder procedure to address complications from a prior Latarjet operation dating back to December 2019.
The shoulder surgery, originally slated for the week after Catalan MotoGP, was accelerated due to aggravated pain stemming from last year’s brutal crash at the Indonesian Grand Prix, where Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi collided with him, dislodging screws and a bone fragment that had begun compressing the radial nerve.
Le Mans MotoGP Race Highlights: Jorge Martin takes victory in first‑ever Aprilia 1‑2‑3
New 2026 MotoGP Championship standings after Le Mans
Marc Marquez double surgery represents a strategic pivot in his season as he now faces an uncertain rehabilitation period that could sideline him beyond Barcelona.
Ducati has provided no firm return timeline, emphasizing that recovery progress in the coming weeks will dictate his comeback, potentially targeting the Italian Grand Prix on May 31 or later rounds.
“Marquez is currently recovering at the Ruber Internacional Hospital in Madrid, where he underwent successful double surgery this morning,” Ducati said in a statement.
“The medical team, led by Dr. Samuel Antuna alongside colleagues Dr. Ignacio Roger de Ona, Dr. Andres Maldonado, Dr. Jorge de las Heras, Dr. Raul Barco and Dr. Juan de Miguel, successfully stabilised the fracture in the fifth metatarsal of Marquez’s right foot.
“This injury was sustained yesterday as a consequence of the highside crash in the final stages of the sprint race at the French Grand Prix.
“Simultaneously, Marquez underwent a second, pre-planned surgical procedure to fix a past injury in his right shoulder. This previous trauma had become painful again following the violent crash at last year’s Indonesian Grand Prix.
“The doctors removed two screws and a bone fragment from a previous Latarjet (December 2019) surgery that has shifted compressing the radial nerve.
“As previously announced, the Ducati Lenovo Team rider will not participate in next week’s Catalan GP. He will remain in the hospital overnight and he will back home tomorrow to begin the rehabilitation. The progress over the upcoming weeks will determine the time for his return to competitions.”
