Marc Marquez given brutal warning ahead of Pedro Acosta Ducati showdown

Marc Marquez could be facing the toughest task of his career when he faces up against Pedro Acosta at Ducati next season.

That's according to his former title rival, Andrea Dovizioso, who sees the pairing as unlike anything Marquez has experienced before .

The nine-time champion will be joined in Italy by Acosta next season after the pair signed contracts with Ducati for 2027 and 2028.

Acosta is yet to win a MotoGP race, but is a champion in Moto2 and Moto3, and has thrilled ever since he stepped up to the premier class with KTM.

The deal has whetted the appetites of many, and also provoked some to question whether it could signal that Marquez's legendary career is coming to an end.

Acosta and Marquez are all smiles now, but that could change next season (Credit: Red Bull Content Pool)

It's also prompted comparisons to when Valentino Rossi was joined by Jorge Lorenzo at Yamaha in 2008, creating a two-pronged attack of elite riders and an almighty rivalry.

However, Dovizioso has explained why the analogy isn't quite right.

Marc Marquez and Acosta pairing compared to Rossi vs Lorenzo

"Marc isn't in the same situation as Valentino. Valentino, however, was still at the top," he said on the podcast 04 bar.

"Yes, he wasn't so young anymore, but he'd been there for many years. Marc isn't in that situation; physically, he has too many problems."

Marquez prompted retirement fears earlier this season when he fractured his ankle at Le Mans and was caught in tears as he explained the pain in his shoulder.

A double surgery has eased the pain, but the 33-year-old has been to hell and back with arm issues, going through seven operations since 2020 and missing numerous races.

Dovizioso thinks it's clear he can no longer race at his peak, nor hide those struggles from his rivals.

Dovizioso says Marquez can no longer hide physical limitations

He explained: "He's not just upset, he's desperate.

"Now he's not hiding it anymore, because, after all, he's a strategist and he's tried to downplay his limitations while he could, but they were so obvious that now they're plain for all to see.

"As a strategist, why show an expression of total exhaustion after a race where you suffered a lot and had no control over your body? He said that.

"It's the worst thing you can tell your rival, but that expression, when he describes those sensations, you see there's nothing [left] to interpret..."

It's not just Marquez's physical limitations, though, but Acosta's talent that has Dovizioso questioning how things will play out at Ducati next season.

Last time out in Aragon, Marquez won the race , but Acosta followed him home in second on a KTM whose development has been halted as the manufacturer instead focuses on the 2027 regulation changes.

Dovizioso intrigued by 'real Acosta' at Ducati

"In my opinion, there's still a lot to discover about Acosta in many aspects, despite all the extraordinary things he's already done. Both in terms of his character and his behaviour," Dovizioso said.

"We don't know him very well because he's young and he's going to change teams; it's the first time he's racing a different bike with a specific team, as Marc's teammate.

"It will be an interesting situation and we'll soon start to discover the real Acosta. Right now it's a little difficult."