Jorge Lorenzo has warned Marc Márquez that age and the rise of younger riders could make the next MotoGP season more difficult. Márquez is now 32 and became the oldest champion in the recent era. His season was very impressive, especially after so many injuries in previous years, but he ended the season with a damaged shoulder from a crash in Indonesia. Because of this, he will not ride again until the Sepang test in February, meaning he will have been off a MotoGP bike for almost three months.

While Márquez was recovering, other riders took their chances. Aprilia finished the 2025 season very strongly. Marco Bezzecchi won the last two races of the year, and Raul Fernandez won in Australia. Their performances showed that Aprilia may now be one of the strongest teams on the grid. Many fans and experts believe they could challenge Ducati properly in 2026.

Lorenzo, who beat Márquez to the MotoGP title in 2015 and knows him very well as a rival, believes age will slowly become Márquez’s biggest battle. He explained that no one can predict the future, but every athlete eventually feels the effects of getting older. Reflexes slow down little by little, and riders take fewer risks when situations become dangerous. Lorenzo said that younger riders like Pedro Acosta are improving quickly, and riders like Bezzecchi, Jorge Martin, and Francesco Bagnaia are in their late twenties, which is seen as the perfect age for MotoGP performance. Because of this, Lorenzo thinks Márquez will naturally find things harder as the years go by.

Even so, Lorenzo still believes that Márquez is the most complete rider at the moment. He said that the real question is how the long injury break will affect him when he returns. Márquez has shown many times that he can come back strong after injuries, and he has a unique riding style that often gives him an advantage. Engineers in MotoGP have even said they study his braking technique because it is so special. His mental strength has also impressed many people. Some riders say that Márquez’s focus and determination are as important as his speed.

Lorenzo also said that Aprilia could be even stronger than Ducati at the moment. He explained that the Aprilia bike looks very stable and has no big weaknesses. Bezzecchi, Alex Márquez, and Fernandez all showed great speed at the end of the season, so Marc may face more competition in 2026 than he did in 2025.

The 2026 season could go in many different directions. Márquez will return to the bike at the Sepang test, and many people will be watching to see if the injury has changed anything about his riding. Younger riders like Acosta, Martin, and Bezzecchi are expected to push hard for wins and maybe even the title. Márquez still has huge experience, and he is known for fighting back even when things look difficult, but age and injury are two challenges that grow over time.

If Márquez stays healthy and adapts well, he could defend his world title and add even more to his legacy. But this might also be the moment when the next generation begins to rise and challenge him seriously. Lorenzo’s message is simple: Márquez is still incredible, but nothing in sports lasts forever.