RiderTua.com – Marc Marquez is no longer ‘one heart’ with Honda and prefers the winning Ducati bike for the Gresini team in 2024, but he is only under a 1 year contract. In his debut with the Desmosedici, the 6-time MotoGP World Champion performed impressively, opening the door for rival teams and manufacturers to discuss where he would race next year.
When Marc was asked about his future, he answered, “I hope the (transfer) market will be more enthusiastic. It takes more time to sign contracts. Every manufacturer has signed a top rider. Ducati took Pecco, Yamaha kept Quartararo, the next one is Aprilia. ”
Marc Marquez Can Leave Gresini, He Gives First Hint
Marc Marquez continued that Aprilia would take one of the two (Aleix-Vinales), then wait for the second rider. For Marquez, all ‘doors’ are open. If the rider is fast on the race track, more ‘doors’ open. So this is the target.
In contrast to last season when Marquez struggled with a Honda whose RC213V performance was very disappointing, this season he is riding a winning bike that is clearly capable of fighting at the front. “Now I’m in a different position because I enjoy it and feel competitive. I’m open to listening to everything (negotiating with anyone),” emphasized Baby Alien.
Most likely, the obvious solution is to stay at Gresini especially in case of improving results in the upcoming European series. Now he and his younger brother Alex Marquez are riding a bike to win the 2023 world title.
Marquez’s performance in his debut was quite impressive. P5 in the sprint and P4 in the main race of the GP Qatar, then P2 in the Portimao sprint and P2 in the COTA sprint then lost pole position due to a crash in the main race in Texas. These results show that he is adapting well to Ducati. But the Ducati factory team can offer an even better bike.
Currently Jorge Martin (Pramac) leads the standings with the Desmo GP24, although world champion Pecco Bagnaia is having more difficulty with this latest bike. Marquez’s ambition to chase an 8th MotoGP world title is so ‘fierce’ that if he were offered a faster bike, he could wear the ‘red’ racing shirt next year.
The question is, will Ducati change their philosophy in bringing riders up to the top class (by bringing ‘only’ young riders)? However, they have opened the door for Marquez in the Ducati family.
KTM is rumored to be interested in Marc Marquez, through Red Bull where they have a strong sponsor that is mutually beneficial. However, with Pedro Acosta, it is likely that the 19 year old rider will be KTM’s main priority for 2025 and beyond. Unless they can add more bikes to the grid and pair Acosta with Marquez, which is often touted as a dream ‘combo’.
Returning to Honda may be a realistic option for Marquez. The gold wing manufacturer has 1 year without him, to improve their project to convince Marquez that in 2025 they can return to fighting at the front again. However, this possibility is small, considering that Honda is still performing poorly in every race this season.
