‘Missing’ champ under siege, crash magnet’s new low, F1 icon’s team set for shift – MotoGP Pit Talk

The road to Marc Marquez’s eighth MotoGP title – seen by many in the sport as a formality in the final year of the 1000cc regulations before the shift to 850cc machinery in 2027 – has hit a pothole, with the star Spaniard’s opening three races of the 2026 season not boding well for his championship defence, and needing a numerical comeback that he’s never previously achieved.