Ducati chief says Marquez has ‘decided’ to leave Honda

Ducati chief Giga Dall’Igna believes that six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez has indeed decided to leave Honda for Gresini Racing.

Speculation has been rife about the Spaniard’s future for months and he has done nothing to try and shut it down, notwithstanding that he has a year to run on his contract with Honda.

Marquez even admitted that a first Grand Prix podium in almost 12 months, when he finished third in the last 24 hours at Japan’s Motegi, was a “super strange” feeling.

It now appears all the more likely that he is leaving the former MotoGP powerhouse of Honda for the fourth-string Ducati team, to ride a year-old Desmosedici motorcycle, a defection which gives great satisfaction to Dall’Igna.

“Marc is one of the strongest riders in history, so the fact that he strongly wants to get on a Ducati can only be pleasing,” said the Ducati Corse General Manager on Sky Sport Italia.

“This is the most important comment I can make. He decided to leave a Honda to get on an unofficial Ducati, even more so he underlines the fact that he wants our bike and [that] can only please [us].”

Dall’Igna’s openness contrasts with the somewhat guarded comments which Ducati Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti made during the previous event of the season In India.

Whether a slip amid the euphoria of yet another victory for the Bologna marque, delivered by Pramac Racing’s Jorge Martin, or reflective of a solidifying of Marquez’s intentions, the remark is notable.

Dall’Igna did, though, point out that the move has not been confirmed, when issued a follow-up question on the matter.

“This is what I heard, clearly there is no official announcement yet,” he added.

“I believe that there are many things to do, that there is a complicated contract to break, in the event that he clearly wants to break it.

“It seems to me that, however, the statements he made are these and from our point of view it is pleasing.”

Nevertheless, Repsol Honda Team Manager Alberto Puig has already stated on multiple occasions that a wantaway Marquez would not be forced to fulfil his contract in 2024.

He would sign a replacement deal with Gresini Racing, rather than directly with Ducati, but the Bologna marque could still face a headache in terms of how it manages its embarrassment of riches.

As it stands, factory team rider Francesco Bagnaia leads factory-contracted Martin by three points at the top of the championship standings, with VR46 Racing Team’s Marco Bezzecchi third on the table thanks to his exploits on a 2022-model Desmosedici.

“The arrival is all to be defined and evaluated, because there isn’t an official announcement yet,” reiterated Dall’Igna.

“I only commented on the statements that Marc made about our bike.

“This year we are still focused on the championship, which has many things to say.

“Then Marc is certainly an awkward rider for many reasons and there is a concern that he could break some balance.

“This will eventually be part of the game and it will be up to us to manage it.”

Marquez himself confirmed early in the Japanese Grand Prix weekend that he would not be making an announcement on his future at that event, although even that development has been taken as a hint at his future given it unfolded at Motegi, a circuit owned by Honda.

If indeed he does make the switch, he would again be a team-mate to brother Alex, after they shared the factory Honda garage in 2020.