Despite a challenging start to the 2026 MotoGP season, Aprilia riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin are refusing to count out Marc Marquez from the championship fight—and they have good reason to keep their eyes on the seven-time world champion.

Marquez, riding for Factory Ducati, finds himself 71 points behind championship leader Bezzecchi after the first five rounds. To make matters worse, the reigning champion has struggled to match the pace of VR46's Fabio di Giannantonio within Ducati's own ranks. With 37 points on offer at this weekend's Catalan Grand Prix—a race Marquez will miss after undergoing double surgery last Sunday—the gap could balloon to over 100 points by the time he returns at the next round in Italy on May 31.

But if anyone knows not to write off a champion, it's the Aprilia duo. Bezzecchi points to Marquez's incredible 2025 campaign, where he clinched the title with six rounds to spare and finished 78 points ahead—despite missing the final four grands prix. "I think Marc last year showed what he can do," Bezzecchi said. "He won the championship by more than 100 points. He won it in Japan, five races before the end. Personally, I never rule out Marc from the title. Now it's very early in the championship, so everything can happen. When Marc comes back, he will be super hungry for winning, so for sure, he will fight."

Martin, who closed to within one point of Bezzecchi in the standings after his French GP victory, echoed that sentiment, pointing to Marquez's legendary comeback from a career-threatening injury in 2020. "If somebody demonstrates that they can go from the lowest to the highest again, it is Marc," Martin said. "So we cannot discount him. I hope he recovers soon and he's back with us very soon."

Marquez's latest surgery was planned after a screw fitted in his right shoulder back in 2019 became bent and began touching a radial nerve, compromising his movement. Add to that a foot fracture sustained earlier in the season, and it's clear the champion has been battling more than just his rivals on track. But if history has taught us anything, it's that counting out Marc Marquez is never a safe bet—and Aprilia's riders know that better than anyone.